Doppelgänger
by RainSonata
Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan. Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves. The first two paths are in the story and there will be ship tease.
1. Another World

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** K+  
**Word Count:** 5,624

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

**Notes:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 01: Another World**_

* * *

_ Rune Master _

Once the El Search Party parted away from the ruins of the ancient capital for their next destination, everything was starting to look blue. It gave the Rune Master a headache to how everything down to the soil had traces of cyan, the color of toothpaste and hurt his eyes. Due to the influence of the El, it was difficult to tell if night time came because the forest glowed regardless of what time of the day it was. He was going to lose Richter at this rate because the trees were the same shade as the priest's hair.

The El's presence attracted monsters and anyone else that wanted it for personal gain, including the corrupted monsters that were once Henir's followers. Their numbers ever-growing, it felt wrong to leave them to the El Masters despite being told it to. Running away from the enemies didn't sit well for Rune, but half of his friends wanted to visit the demon realm. For different reasons, but at least they had a common interest, which was all that mattered because it was better than sitting around and waiting to see what the enemies next objective would be. At least until they figured out how to reach Demon Realm.

"What is this?" Abysser asked. The demon squinted at the strange device, plated in black material similar to the Henir monsters they fought in Elrianode. Blue light flickered through the minuscule windows covering its sides and shone as his teammate tinkered with its coding. "This machine you claim to work..."

"Of course it will," A man in white didn't look up from his machines, his gaze glued to holographic screens that never seemed to run out of power. Legs crossed, Dominator kept his balance sitting on Dynamo and hummed as he worked. "I figured out the basis of how it functions. All we need now are new coordinates."

"That's great!" Rune was impressed by to how quick his friends were in utilizing the little material they had in Elrianode. Rubbing his hands together, he grinned, "See? That didn't take long!"

"Who are you trying to convince?" A woman dressed in purple kicked her shoes for ruffled frills to shimmer under the night sky. Oz watched her breaths evaporate into the cold air and ran her hand through her hair with an exaggerated sigh, "You're the one rushing to leave."

Rune's cheeks flushed to the same shade of red as his hair, glancing down and avoiding looking at Oz, who was definitely snickering over his embarrassment. What did the Oz Sorcerer know about what went through his mind? The El may have increased his powers, but being close to a powerful energy source left static in the air that made Rune self-aware of his powers and feared setting something ablaze if he wasn't careful. He huffed and maturely stuck out his tongue at the dark mage before turning his head to look at the device in Dominator's hand.

"How does this work?" Flame scratched the back of her neck, "Say it again for some of us to understand."

"It was once connected to the Heart of Henir and will take us straight to the Demon Realm," Dominator wasn't fazed by the Flame Lord's uncertainty. One could say he was beaming on the concept of potential interdimensional traveling, too eager on the new discovery to be bothered by small questions. He chuckled, "No need to thank me."

Flame had her knuckles placed under her chin for support, a thoughtful expression on her face. Rune could see the wires turning as his sister processed the new information and accepted the explanation with a nod.

"And this will transport all of us?" Blade asked.

"Where is this sudden skepticism coming from?" Dominator looked up from the screens to see the mercenary gingerly tapping the surface with his Nasod arm. "Are you doubting my perfect plan?"

"Last machine," the Furious Blade deadpanned. "Bugs." (1)

"You remembered that?" Dominator covered his mouth, but Rune could hear the amusement in his voice. "Anyway, that's in the past. Things will be different this time."

"What machine?" Rune asked. How come Blade got to tinker with Dominator's inventions while he was pushed out for 'messing with important data' when he tried to break into the scientist's lab? He leaned over to see numbers and letters running across Dominator's screen, too quickly for anyone aside from the scientist to understand them.

"It was supposed to kill mosqui-"

"If it could transport enough monsters to fight us, it can handle a dozen of us." Fatal Phantom said with nervous laughter. "How long will it be until it's done setting up?"

"As soon as you all stop talking and let me work." Dominator complained, but the effect was lost in a smile as if pleased by the sudden attention by his teammates. Scanning over the screens for last-minute adjustments, he mumbled to himself, "What else?"

"Elsword," a male voice called. "There you are."

"Ain!" Rune spun to see a blue-haired man in white robes with a somber expression. Spreading his arms in a gestural hug, he exclaimed, "I was starting to think I lost you back there with the Elrianode monsters!"

"You remembered me," Richter blinked, as if the celestial couldn't believe it.

"Of course I do," Rune frowned at his friend's statement, confused to why that surprised the priest.

Richter has been bringing up that topic more lately - memories, missions, whether or not he would be remembered. He thought after near corruption from Henir and apologizing to Timoria in Elrianode, Richter would be more at peace with himself. Quiet as ever, Richter didn't express it, but his eyes crinkled to Rune wrapped his arms around his friend into a tight hug to let him know the redhead was there for him.

A pair of mechanical wings came into view from Rune's peripheral vision, drawing his attention to see Code: Ultimate with Moby and Remy. Arms to her side, the Nasod queen's forehead was framed by a black helmet matching with the rest of her armor, wings folded in to make space for Rune to approach his teammate. Cold and stoic, her face betrayed little as the knight searched for answers to why Ultimate looked so stern.

"Heya, Eve." Rune chirped and let go of Richter. "Are you here to remind me about something?"

"Yes," Ultimate said. Side eying Dominator, who was still mumbling numbers to himself, she placed a hand over Rune's shoulder and nodded to Richter. "If you mind, we need to talk. Away from everyone."

"Both of you?" Rune was flabbergasted when she ushered him to the side, closer to the edge of the woods where the party chose as their new resting area. His hands growing warm at thought of what could have nudged Ultimate and Richter to team up. "What is it?"

It must be serious if they confronted him on an individual basis, was it about Demon Realm? But why Ultimate too? She had no reason to be affected by demons, but it was Richter that worried Rune. The priest was surprisingly impulsive around demons as evident when he lost control in Feita and disappeared. Richter retained his composure since then, but after what happened between him and Timoria last week…

"The El has been temporarily restored because of your interference." Light flickered in her eyes, but Ultimate blinked and it was gone, "It's stable for now, but there isn't much time for us to find a new source before that it becomes unstable again. When entering the Demon Realm, it's best that you let us take care of the demons."

"Huh?" Rune tilted his head to the side.

"Consult us," Richter said. "Think before you act."

Rune opened his mouth in protest, "If this is because of Solace."

"It's because you do things without telling us first," Ultimate snapped. "You discarded yourself without considering the consequences or how the rest of the group would respond. I won't hesitate in fighting if you fail to reassess yourself next time."

Spears drew out from Ultimate, long blades emerging from her back and pointing at Rune to make her point. He snapped his mouth shut at first sign of anger from the Nasod queen, grumbling as he did so, feeling Richter's daggers drilled into the back of his head.

"You wouldn't hurt me, would you Eve?" Rune gave her the best puppy eyes he could make, searching for hints of joking or sarcasm from Ultimate, only to see cold ones staring back.

"We have alchemists on our team to keep you alive." Richter said, yet Rune found little reassurance in those words.

It was naive to believe what Rune did would be dropped in a matter of weeks, but it stung that the more stoic of his friends showed strong emotions. Richter's disappointment was like a sharp blade through his chest, feeling guilty if the celestial had nothing to say and mouthed an incohesive phrase in an unfamiliar tongue.

Uh oh… The priest must be furious if he was swearing in another language.

"What are you guys doing?" Anemos appeared between them. Pulling Rune away from Ultimate, who still had her weapons out, the elf groaned. "We're about to depart and you three are fighting?"

Withdrawing her spears, Ultimate lowered her head. "I apologize. I won't let this happen again."

Rubbed his temples, Rune interjected. "It's nothing. Tell Add we'll be ready in a bit."

Unconvinced, Anemos had her hands on her hips. "Just don't lose your heads over petty fights."

"I'll make sure Elsword is safe," Richter promised the elf.

What happened to the threats on keeping him alive, speared or not by Ultimate? Sparks emitted from Rune's fingertips at the earliest signs of annoyance, a newfound emotion as of lately. He could take care of himself fine! It was clear that his friends were worried for his safety, but he didn't need to be coddled like a child. Maybe it was a bit of pride on his part, but it served as an aching reminder to how far he had to grow if he wanted to be taken seriously.

Rune sighed. Nothing will be accomplished if he didn't keep pushing forward like he always did. No use in dwelling over small things like pride. It wasn't his style. Guilt surfaced once he recognized the sadness in Ultimate's features.

"I don't think you realize the effect you have on people," she uttered. "That's why I'm upset."

That snapped Rune out of his trance and looked at Ultimate in distraught. He had known her for years since they have met in Altera, but this was the closest thing she had come to admitting her emotions out in the open. Confusion hazed his mind as he swallowed down the guilt.

"Now I do," Rune admitted. "That's why I'm trying to make up for everything."

"You don't need to change," Richter said. "Stay the way you are."

Looking at the two, Rune smiled. Their words held weight, but their expressions and body language told another story. Tense from his impulsive decisions, yet they stayed because they trusted him and fussed over him. He had underestimated how much his friends valued him. How he be blind?

A pair of purple cat ears poked from the side of a small bush. Rune blinked and turned his head again, but there was nothing. His paranoia told him it was another corrupted monster, but sneaking around was out of character. Rune sighed and rested his chest over the base of his sword.

"Thanks, guys." Rune said with a smile, "Let's get going before everyone wonders where we went."

* * *

_ Comet Crusader _

Cannon laid down by his side, Crusader leaned over and wiped the edges clean with a cloth until it shone. Black soot and ashes smeared over his hands and some fell on his white armor. It was a routine for the guardian of Hamel, one that required diligence to make sure he reached all the corners and sides of the cannon. The destroyer was easily taller than him, but creating and testing new functions to stay up to date with their fighting situation kept Crusader on his toes.

"Chung?"

He looked up to see a man glancing over at him with concern. Wearing a collared shirt with long sleeves cuffed at the end, Cavalier's hair was tied into a thin ponytail trailing behind the half-demon. Balancing on one hand was a blue tray with a tea kettle and pristine teacups in a neat stack of twos or threes. If Cavalier hasn't spoken up, Crusader wouldn't have heard the butler approach him.

"Did you get any sleep?" Cavalier frowned, "You look exhausted."

Wiping his brow, Crusader laughed. "Hardly. Thanks for worrying about me."

Setting the tea tray onto the grass, Cavalier offered him a cup. "Would you care to join me for tea then?"

Crusader nodded.

Using the tea tray for a flat surface, Cavalier held the tea kettle up and carefully poured a cup to offer to Crusader before pouring one for himself. The butler followed the younger male as he grabbed the sugar bowl to drop a couple of sugar cubes into his tea. White clouds turned into mist inside his cup as Crusader stirred the contents with a spoon. Its aromatic smell invited him to take a sip.

It wasn't the first time he had Lanox tea. Apsara's herbal teas had a sharp and bitter taste that reminded him of the earth on summer mornings, but Cavalier's had a clean yet sweet taste at first sip. He let the light and spicy aftertaste linger on the tip of his tongue as the butler spoke.

"You're committed," Cavalier eyed the destroyer on the ground. "You should be resting."

"Ain healed me," Crusader grew defensive.

"Even magic can't heal scars."

Small tugs and stinging sensations strained his muscles at a moment's movement with Crusader setting his teacup down on the tray to pause. With limited resources, potions and elixirs exclusive were weaker and took longer to heal injuries that once recovered within hours. Injuries weren't new for him, especially with stronger enemies waiting for them at every turn, but it pained him in know he was dragging the team down for being hurt.

Burnt marks over his chest were from Nephilim Lord. They were clean cuts, making them easier to clean and bandage every few hours, but the pain inflicted held a constant icy burn over the days he spent healing. He knew the Lord of Spirit Asylum was influenced during the attack, but bitterness lingered as an afterthought. Once again, someone or _ something _ reached their goal before they did. How much longer could they do this until the gap between them and their enemies was too much?

"I'm not angry at you," Cavalier said with kindness. "It was a tough battle against Nephilim Lord. You're not the only one that got hurt."

"I know," Crusader stared at the crimson mist hovering over their campsite. "This really is the Demon Realm… Everything here is different than what we've encountered before."

Demon Realm, or as the dark elves dubbed it as Varnimyr had contrasts. Red mist against blue trees and there were numerous moons instead of the suns Elrianode had. Eternal nights overtook the region with many of its inhabitants using their body or external means to brighten the dark forest with fluorescent light. They have found a way to flourish with limited resources.

Crusader had found his strength in recent battles against stronger enemies the longer he fought, but was it enough to withstand future enemies? Far from the El's influence, his powers have weakened and to his astonishment, Cavalier and Ishtar were affected as well.

"I suppose it's different than what we're used to," Cavalier agreed. "But that didn't stop us in Elysion or Elrianode, did it? We sorted out the misunderstanding with Nephilim Lord and are closer to our goal than before."

Crusader wasn't one to ponder over his friends' histories out of respect, but with Cavalier, it was hard not to be curious, if not wary. What was a human like Cavalier doing with a former demon queen and what could have happened to have them act as one unit? Their fighting style synchronized in a way that couldn't have been achieved without magic involved, leaving much to Crusader's imagination to why or how.

No, that was none of his business! The El Search Party were at their most vulnerable in a place outside their comfort. Those two have stayed long enough to have plenty of opportunities to backstab them if that was their intention. He needed to have faith in the Knight Emperor's judgment in letting Cavalier and Ishtar be a part of their group. However, no amount of loyalty in his closest friend could undo the ongoing suspicion he had on a pair of demons, even if one of them was _ half _ demon.

"You're right, it's too late to have doubts after coming this far." Crusader was apologetic. "I'm sorry for taking up your time to attend to my needs."

Cavalier said, "I need to be here for my friends too. You don't need to apologize."

"I guess so," Crusader broke into an awkward smile. "Where's Lu?"

Taking his cup in one hand, he held it to his eye level. A unique design of intricate lines cut into the edges to form into flowers native to Lanox, it was a true work of art. He admired the effort his teammate had put into making tea in enemy territory when they should be rushing back to Elrianode to report their findings to the El Masters.

The butler sighed, "Still asleep. It's been a long week for all of us. I won't bother her."

"There you are!"

Purple hair obscured his view with color matching eyes narrowed with displeasure. Cheeks puffed out and bright pink, a look of distraught as Aether Sage folded her arms inward to hug herself. The white jacket she wore slide over her shoulders and the bow on her collar was uncharacteristically uneven today. One might think the woman was hit by a hurricane by the two strands of hair standing over her roots with the rest of her hair in a mess of disarray. **  
**

"Have you seen Elsword?" Aether asked out of breath. "He's gone!"

Rubbing his chin, Cavalier shook his head sullenly. "He offered to help me with the chores this morning, but I saw him just an hour ago. Have you checked his tent?"

She sighed. "I told him not to move around after that fight. Why doesn't he ever listen?"

"Let me go look for him," Cavalier said. "He might be training with Raven again. Why don't you and Chung search the surrounding areas?"

Lowering his cup onto a tea plate, Cavalier set it down to grab a platter of pastries over to his left. Croissants, fruit tarts, and bread rolls stacked on top of one another with slices of preserved meat in between. Placing inside a small cloth bag for storage, it was enough food to last them for a few meals.

"You don't think he's going to be gone for that long, do you?" Alarm rose in Aether's voice in response to seeing what was meant to be their rations. "He's been fine before."

"We _ are _ in Demon Realm," Crusader placed his hand on his destroyer for support to stand up. Quiet grunts escaped from his lips as he struggled to find his footing, leaning against his weapon. "Even with the dark elves on our side, demons are waiting for us."

"I know that," Aether snapped. "That idiot better not do something stupid again."

One moon hung over his shoulder with light soaking into their path as he and Aether walked past their campsite in search for their missing teammate. Radiant colors danced off the fungi and fauna lining up the dirt road, glowing faintly in time to the chilling breeze sending shivers down his skin. An eerie silence occupied alongside their heavy footsteps with quiet sighs and breathing from either of them. With better luck, maybe Cavalier could find Knight before they had to consider researching past familiar territory.

"Was there something you needed Elsword for?" Crusader asked.

"I was going to check his bandages," she said. "Ain can't always be there for him."

Blinking a few times, he looked at her in confusion. "I suppose so. Did he say anything about where he went?"

"Elsword said he needed to talk to the dark elves again," Aether groaned. "That was this morning. He should have been back by now, but his stuff is still gone. He needs to stop acting like he's alone in this, we're here too!"

"I don't think that's why he does things alone."

"What do you know what about Elsword thinks?" She was hard-pressed to let Crusader back down, demanding answers and glaring at the guardian of Hamel.

Despite knowing her for years, it surprised Crusader to see the mage initiate interactions with Knight, who often buried her head into books with a sandwich in hand outside of battles. What brought on the sudden change in tune? After rescuing Knight from the El, something happened to make Aether stay close, her attention always drawn back to the redhead. Harsh words from before softened into mild comments on Knight needed to look after himself more. Her tough exterior always wavered to reveal a gentler side for her friends as evident when she approached Crusader to help. She was stubborn about showing her emotions, but she didn't let her pride stop her from seeking help. It was something Crusader admired about the mage.

If Knight went back to talk to the dark elves, he couldn't be far, but the village's location remained unknown. Unless he had gone back to talk to Edith, the dark elf elder who granted them an ear to listen to their side of the story after the El Search party was caught by their sentry guardians. Were the dark elves still there? Crusader saw the tents waiting for them in a distance. What could be on Knight's mind to seek the dark elves first instead of his friends?

"What am I doing losing my temper with you? You're not Elsword." Aether rubbed her temples, "I shouldn't have said any of that. It's just frustrating feeling like he left us again."

"Well, he does what he thinks is right, even if it means going through demons." Crusader chuckled, "We'll catch up to him."

"Then we better hurry," she tugged on her white gloves to tighten them with her stuff between her arms. "I don't want to look like a fool because he did all the fighting without us."

Striking her staff overhead, water danced across her feet from the puddles and morning dew, lifting her feet to leap as the stream turned into solid ice. Awe and wonder stole Crusader's concentration as Aether landed on her feet and slid over the frozen path with her hair flying from behind. Thin layers of frost brushed over the ice in powdered snow, water droplets surfacing before freezing again from the cold air. Flowered patterns overlapped as Aether slid forward to form a path with magic emitting from her staff.

Mud mixed with thin layers of ice made it difficult for Crusader to skate without losing his balance. Aether didn't seem to notice his struggle and was already several meters ahead with her head held up high. Following after his teammate, all Crusader could do was to make sure he wouldn't lose the mage in the fog.

* * *

_ Flame Lord _

"I'm back!"

Out of breath, Rune waved his arm over his head, red hair mopped over his head in disarray not unlike a bushfire. Walking from behind him were Richter and Ultimate, maintaining stoic expressions on smooth features as the first hint that they weren't of human origin. Their walking movements had the same grace as angels. Anemos was the last to appear with her arms crossed with mild frustration from the way she bit into her inner cheek. Did something happen back there without her knowledge?

"Took you long enough," Dominator scoffed. He tucked his bangs behind his left ear, only for it fall back and cover his eye again. "If you walk off again, we're leaving you behind."

"That won't be necessary," Ultimate gave the scientist a cold glare.

Attentive and precise in the smallest details, the care Dominator placed into a device that wasn't of his creation impressed the Flame Lord. It reminded her of the kind of care she placed into cleaning her claymore in between battles. According to Dynamo, it has been over an hour since Dominator made adjustments to stabilize it. There was something mesmerizing in watching him work with something Flame had little understanding of.

Half of the El Search Party grew restless from the wait and drifted away in groups of twos and threes. Phantom sat on the floor to clean his phantom shooters. Blade and Abysser recounted their supplies in preparation for the upcoming journey, a quiet discussion among themselves with Timoria giving them tips on rationing food. Devi said little, but the Haan warrior held a steady gaze when their eyes met.

"Do we all have to hold it to activate it?" Flame asked. From what Blade had told her, an earlier invention held a similar function as to what Dominator was currently working on.

The scientist's brows rose, "It should work as long as we're all touching each other while one of us holds the device."

"So we should hold hands," Rune grabbed the scientist's arm and cheered. "I'll be your partner!"

"Don't decide things for me without my permission!" Dominator protested.

Flame's heart fluttered as Dynamo blinked pink ("It's magenta!" Dominator huffed.), her skin patched with sweat not because of the sparks threatening to escape from her warm palms. They were doing it. Demon Realm was minutes away from their reach.

Entering the strange dimension demons considered to be home was something she had anticipated for years. It was a strategic decision to initiate their attack on the source of their troubles in Elrios. Yet her heart couldn't stop racing on the idea of threading into enemy territory with limited resources. Timoria was a demon, but how useful could her knowledge be if they were going to be outnumbered? Learning the mechanics on how the place functioned, its origins, and going there was surreal for the fire knight.

"Add, the machine." Flame breathed. Turning her head over to the rest of their party, she cried. "Grab someone's hand and don't let go!"

Quick to act, Phantom searched for Dominator's hand with his silver shooters hanging off his belt and his arm extended. Ultimate followed suit and let Timoria and Abysser hold hands with the rest of the El Search Party. Blade was with Anemos and Richter, hands hooked together to form into a chain behind them. At the end of the long line was Oz, standing her ground as the gravel around them hovered from the earth shaking. Black gloved hands grabbed Flame's with no hesitance, a familiar grip leaving little surprise in seeing Devi next to her.

Flashing light burned her retinas as Flame struggled to keep them open in search for red hair. Concern was as foreign of a concept as raisin cookies were to Timoria, but it was a strong emotion driving the 'what ifs' running through her head. Flame reached for Rune's hand in the blind. Gravity pressed against them as static encaved the group and lifted them off their feet. Fear latched onto Flame's subconscious with the knight struggling to not to fall over with nothing to grab onto. Her fingers slipped from Devi's grasp and gasped.

Everything stopped. Her weight brought her back to earth with the Flame Lord crash landing with her face first. Bleh! Demon dirt!

Her sides hurt when Flame rolled over with her elbows on the floor. She dug her hands into dry crumbled soil, a dusty brown tinted with red. She took deep breaths. The rustic foreign landscape reminded her of Lanox, but the humidity was that of Feita. Mist hovered over the blue and purple-hued grass, or was it because it was nighttime with two (no, three!) moons overhead. Demon Realm looked different than what she imagined.

Strong and steady, claymore maintained its balance as Flame drew out her weapon, a black blade bearing markings in gold writing. Flame held her guard up with her legs spread apart with claymore in one hand and fire building up in her other. Gold sparks flared up and burst into flames from her blade at the feeling to someone tapping her on the shoulder.

They were faster and twirled to disarm her, pulling claymore away and grabbing her arms, pinning the fire user and bearing tiny fangs into a wide grin.

"Looks like Add's plan worked." Devi balanced claymore with her fingertips before tossing it back to its owner. "Did I surprise you?"

"I could have burned you!" Flame protested.

Devi giggled, "Hopefully that'll be the last time we do that."

It took Flame a moment to force her temperature down to stop the heat from traveling up to her face and leaving her tongue-tied on being snuck on by Devi. Black bangs obscured one side of Devi's face with the back of her hair was tied into a tight bun by a multitude of hairpins. The longer ends of her dress fanned out to touch the ground.

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here," Flame tucked claymore back to its strap. She strained her eyes for Oz's iconic pointed hat or Richter's radiant aura shining like a lighthouse between the misty terrain. Timoria and Abysser could avoid arousing trouble because they were demons, but what about the others? She held faith in her friends to stay hidden until they were reunited, but where was Rune? He wasn't one to keep a low profile for long.

"You're eager to fight," Devi said with glee. She took Flame's hand, "Your hands are getting hot."

"I'm not," Flame felt sick. She needed to find Dominator and give the scientist a talk for alternative traveling methods that didn't make her want to throw back whatever Furious Blade made for lunch. "Have you seen anyone else from our group?"

"No." Concern graced her pale features, "What's putting you on the edge?"

"Nothing," Flame clenched her fists. "Let's find everyone and go."

"Do you really think this will be resolved that quickly?" Devi asked with no humor in a dark chuckle. "Our poor luck won't let that happen."

Blue light flashed across the sky like fireworks and rained overhead. Fire whistled and burst into violent flames for all to see, trees trembled and tectonic plates shifted to loosen the soil from beneath. She struggled to keep her footing as she charged to the chaos, covering her face and coughing. The smoke and fire made it hard to breathe. Each step grew heavy as she dragged her foot over to where she heard voices. Flame didn't check to see if Devi was behind her.

Between a grove of trees were monsters with extra limbs and moved around mechanically, but they were too fluid and organic like to be a machine. Blue web-like veins etched through their bodies and illuminated the destruction they left behind. How did the Elrianode monsters follow them into Demon Realm?

Orange light blazed from behind, Devi throwing herself through the air and her spear pierced into a Skin Splitter. Blood blotted out from the monster through its armored skin with an inhuman screech. Mutated monsters crawled around them and hissed in response to the hot fumes created from Flame's palms, all of them disintegrating into ashes from the contact of her fire. Runes showered over the monsters to set ablaze.

"Sis!"

Rune's voice rang over the chaos. Scars decorated his exposed skin with the redhead beaming.

"Elsword!" Flame cried.

Behind him was a creature that towered over most humans and had a multitude of long appendages as limbs to support its weight. Glossed armor-plated around its "shoulders" if that was what one would call them and had half a dozen eyes moving and blinking all at once. Metallic appendages shot out and curled around Rune's arms and legs, pinning him to the ground and limiting his movement. His pupils were dilated with the beast reflecting off the lights of his eyes.

Flame raced to find a way to climb onto the monster and pull her brother out, but someone else beat her to it.

A harsh breeze picked up, two shadows in the form of Timoria and Abysser appeared to slam their bodies against the Spatio Reaper and causing it to tumble, putting out the fire hazard created by the Sieghart siblings. Silver bullets hit the creature in the chest just below from where Rune was positioned. A young man in plated armor pursued after the creature with pistols at his arsenal. Anemos and Phantom Phantom!

"Ignis..." Fire enclaved around the red knight. "Crusher!"

Fireballs hit the Spatio Reaper's exterior, melting away a thin layer of its armor and dripping out an unnatural blue liquid from its pores. Attacking it did little to slow down its sluggish but persistent movements that caused the ground to shudder while Rune squirmed in its grasp.

"No!" Flame choked on blood and saliva. Her legs were heavy lifting them and forcing herself to stay upright. Smoke and fire hindered her vision. Where was it taking Rune? "Must keep going…"

Her eyelids grew heavy and everything faded to black.

* * *

**Notes: **

"_Bugs."_ (1) - Raven was sent back in time in his webtoon "_Company" Double Crow_ when he touched Add's invention designed to kill mosquitoes by sending them back in time. Yes, Add invented such a thing.

* * *

**Author Notes:**

Be sure leave a review and share your lovely thoughts! I've been so excited to write this fic and make it work to write 24+ characters interacting with each other. I had fun writing from everyone's different perspectives and hope to upload the next chapter by next month or so. Thank you dezimaton for beta reading!


	2. The Search

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** K+  
**Word Count:** 6,960

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 02: The Search**_

* * *

_Knight Emperor _

Starlight lit up the darkened sky. Their brilliance was as blinding as the El, a meteor shower pouring overhead.

Knight raced to where he thought the source of light was coming from. They burst like fireworks and rocked the earth when they came falling through the atmosphere. It was difficult to find the right word to describe the moment in which his mind zoned out and everything zoomed into focus. All his senses intensified, not unlike the surreal sensation he had in Elrianode. There was a strong energy coming from those falling stars. Could they be El shard fragments?

Heavy boots crushed the worn down road. Knight was sure he would lose his footing and sink into the muddy floor flooded from last night's rain shower - or was that last morning? He watched the moons rotate through their cycles before he made the decision to leave camp. Periods of sunlight were rare and lasted for a few hours at most according to the elder of the dark elves.

"Elsword, slow down!"

He waited for Bluhen to catch up. A friend for as long as he could remember, Knight couldn't say no when the priest insisted on coming with him to investigate the sudden recurring earthquakes arriving in waves. Sometimes the aftershocks came one after another. Bluhen caught the knight leaving camp after restless hours tossing and turning in his sleep.

"It's not safe to put yourself in danger's path again," Bluhen rolled his shoulders up to prevent his fur coat from slipping past off. Rather than running, he hovered midair with his feet sliding over the ground. He placed his hand over Knight's shoulder for support with worry reflecting in his face.

"You didn't have to come with me," Knight said despite wanting his friend to stay. Was it naive or stupid or him to wish that? His intuition told him something was off, but everyone was still recovering from the fight with Nephilim Lord and there wasn't enough evidence to bring the rest of the El Search Party with him to validate a haunch. He didn't want to worry everyone again.

"I said I would come," he said. "Besides, it's not safe venturing in the Demon Realm by yourself."

His last words forced Knight to bite back his tongue. It didn't take effort for him to understand it was because he made his friends feel guilty again. After he woke up in Elrianode, his teammates all had worn down dispositions and treated him like a child, insisting that Knight stayed closer to the middle of the group rather than the front. _Extra precautions_, Rage Hearts explained in a short crisp manner with a smile as if that could alleviate the insult to injury.

"And you're okay following me?" Knight asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Bluhen slowed his pace. He had his hand over his temples with a thoughtful expression. His gaze fixed into Knight's, an awkward silence where the priest stared at him longer than necessary. Knight could somewhat feel the El's influence radiating from Bluhen, although being in demon territory had dimmed it until all he could feel was a flicker of what it once was.

"Demonic energy doesn't bother you?" Knight placed care in his words.

Not that Bluhen ever shown anger to him, but Knight knew it wasn't a light topic for either of them. It was no secret that Bluhen had distaste for demons and being in their territory left him in a constant state of wariness past the cheery facade. After Bluhen almost fainted in Elrianode because of the Dark El's influence, Knight was hesitant to push his friend and relied on other team members for demon related tasks. If it wasn't for Ishtar, what would have become of the priest?

Bluhen paused before shaking his head, "No. I'm still adjusting, but I can carry my weight."

It smelled of ash and sulfuric gas. Much of the fire was diminished by the downpour and reduced to ashes, but smoke and flames singed the tree branches. He could still feel the warmth from the remnants of a fire. Orange lines glowed through the cracked tree bark and whispered harsh sounds to the wind.

Uneven lines gashed over tree trunks, deep cuts left behind by a sword or a spear. Silver light flickered drew Knight's attention. Silver bullets scattered and seeped in demon blood, their metallic surfaces shining under jet black ink. This wasn't a meteor shower. It was the aftermath of a battle.

Bluhen saw the bullets and frowned, "Do you recognize them?"

"No."

Crafted with elegance of an experienced blacksmith, the silver bullets held familiarity and reminded Knight of the white pristine palaces in Hamel. He didn't know many that relied on pistols or handguns for fighting. Comet Crusader's destroyer was the closest thing he had to compare, but the difference in size was significant and made it a stretch to say they were similar.

"Can humans coexist with demons?" Knight's words held weight and consideration. How could humans be here before they were? It took little imagination to imagine how the fight ended. Kicked up dirt and debris left a beaten path of a body dragged across the ground, likely in a struggle.

"What makes you ask such a question?" Bluhen asked with amusement, "I don't think so. If it occurs, I doubt it lasts long-"

Bluhen stumbled over his words and placed his hands over his mouth, all the more puzzling with the sheepish smile after and coughing. His former confidence was replaced by a new emotion of furrowed brows followed by a curt answer in an attempt to repair his embarrassment.

"Well, it's. It's unlikely, but it's a possibility, I suppose." Bluhen muttered. "It isn't something we can rule out yet..."

Knight covered his laugh with a cough. He went on his knees to gather the silver bullets and pocketed for later. Crusader would be interested utilizing them for battle use. Maybe they could determine the story behind the battlefield.

Pain panged at the nape of his neck for Knight to snap his head forward. That strong energy source. Something with strong El Resonance was here. Adrenaline rushed through his blood veins and Knight turned to shout.

"Did you feel that?"

Bluhen was already one step ahead and pulled out his pendulum. Green light enclaved the priest as he and Knight charged into the forest. Deep within the mass of trees, dark bulky shapes were revealed in the light as deformed monsters they haven't seen since Elrianode. Did Henir's followers find their way into the Demon Realm before they did?

Soil eroded under Knight's feet. He slid under a Mutated Ent's swinging arms and pulled his sword out to block its attacks. Metal clashed against its bark exterior, leaving angry gashes across its belly and the corrupted beast howling. Black tar pooled at his feet.

One of the bigger monsters walked with a limp and had burnt marks over its blue armor, rusty edges on the metallic part of its body. Gashes and scars decorated the rest of its exoskeleton. Wait, that's the Spatio Reaper. Those injuries, they're the same as the damage from the forest! It was walking slower than usual with something in its grasp. One of its appendages was wrapped around…

"A civilian!" Knight hollered in hopes that Bluhen could hear him, "I'm going after them! Get backup if I don't come back!"

Knight threw himself onto the Spatio Reaper and dug his nails into the monster's cracks as it tried to shake him off with no success. He hauled himself and climbed over its arms and legs. Placing his hand over the other, he breathed on a realization. A human in Demon Realm… was that possible? Knight was frantic on moving an unconscious person and scrambled to get them to safety first.

He struggled to pull them out. Gripping his right hand wrist, Knight forced sparks to emit from his palms. Heat buildup at his fingertips and flared out into miniscule fireballs. They were weak flames, but enough for the Spatio Reaper to jolt from its feet and loosen its grip.

Knight used both arms to pull the civilian out, bringing their right arm behind his neck. Knees bent to lift their legs for their upper body to lean over his shoulder for support. Now he had to get them back to the ground. He turned his head to face the corrupted monster glaring at them. How a creature with no facial expression could come off as angry was a mystery and something he didn't want to stick around to find out. Glowing blue didn't look good.

Oh, no.

He and the unconscious person slid off the creature's back for Knight to land on his butt. The other landed on his back with arms stretched out and loud snores coming out?! Knight tugged their arms and threw them over his shoulders with their legs over his waist. They tucked their head into his shoulder with a sleepy smile. How could anyone sleep through a battle?

Knight groaned and covered his face with his free hand.

A screeching noise ached his eardrums. Peeking behind his hands, a dark shadow approached them. Long blue appendages stretched out in reach of them with tiny claws extended. Knight emptied his bag and grabbed a water orb, blue crystals forming at his fingertips as he tossed it to his opponent. Mist formed and ice crystals flowered the ground, frosting blackened trees and hopefully the Spatio Reaper.

His heartbeat was thumping in his ears, the wind urging Knight to keep moving. Blood and sweat clung to his clothes. He was out of breath, his legs felt like jelly, and his arms were getting tired from carrying the extra weight.

Beneath a tree with lowered branches was a dense overgrowth of bushes and shrubs. They were green and purple, but Knight recognized them for growing edible berries that had no effect on humans besides having a purple tongue. Turning his head to confirm that no one was following them, he lowered the civilian and laid down to gasp for air. Each painful breath had his lungs protesting in pain. He had ignored his body again and Bluhen was going to chide him later about it.

Knight chuckled. They were pursued by corrupted monsters and his worst fear was the wrath of his friends. It was hardly a laughable matter, but he found comfort in remembering that his friends cared about him.

At least the civilian was safe. Now that they were out of danger's reach, Knight had a better look at them. Muscles carved into their calves suggesting an active life with burn marks and scars caked over tanned skin. Their clothes were more appropriate for the beach than for the Demon Realm. Hair the color of fire tangled past their shoulders and tied into a low ponytail.

Knight stopped breathing. It was like looking into a mirror. Their faces were identical.

* * *

_Abysser_

Static broke out, quiet buzzes filling his ears and giving Abysser a headache. No signal. A deafening sound broke out from the mouthpiece when he tapped a communication device clipped to his jacket collar. Communication became difficult over time as the El Search Party expanded in number overtime until Dominator, although he was known as Mastermind at the time, produced a set of communicators for them. He didn't understand the in-depth mechanics of it, but he knew it had a limit in distance. How far could their friends be for communication to be broken?

Fighting Spatio Reaper caught the attention of demons and left little else for them to do but run. Until they caught connection with the rest of the party again, they took refuge between dense trees and bushes. Logs reduced to ashes and worn down paths were clear signs it was an abandoned camp site. With their numbers dwindled, it was a risk to rest in a place that may belong to demons.

Herbs and ointment filled the air with fresh minty aromas. Injuries were minimal and required cleaning cuts and bandaging burning scars and cuts. Flame Lord was conscious and laid on her back, curled up against a fire lit up by Phantom and soaking in its tender warmth. Leaves were used as a makeshift bed for the redhead, fire flickering and its light forming shadows over her exposed skin.

"Corrupted monsters must have followed us into Demon Realm," Phantom was hard pressed to sugar coat himself. It was what it was. The constant battle against demons had taken a toll on the young man, where his cheery disposition was replaced with wariness. A solemn smile was all he had to offer.

"It was an ambush," Devi curved her hands into tight fists and formed creases on her dress. "They attacked when we let our guards down."

It wasn't an accusation, but a statement. They placed too much faith in the belief that entering Demon Realm would be their biggest obstruction. It never occurred to Abysser that other beings may follow them and take advantage of their resources.

Despite the corrupted monsters running rampant, it was apparent they were in a new dimension untouched by sunlight. Fluorescent plants dominated the fauna, neon particles outlining shapes unheard of in Elrios that would have fascinated Abysser if it wasn't for their dire situation. Their intention was to visit Demon Realm to investigate the territory, but they were already ambushed within minutes of arrival.

"Have you noticed something is off?" Timoria asked. It was something that has been bothering her since they left battle. She looked at Phantom and Devi before she uttered, "It feels like my power is a fraction of what it once was."

Devi gave her a curt nod, "You feel it too? Eun's been complaining."

Abysser once wondered if weakness in the El's influence would affect Eun's presence, but that didn't seem to be the case. At least they could rely on Eun and Devi for fire power if opportunities required them to, for better or worse.

"The El Masters said Demon Realm lacks the resources we have," Phantom thought out loud. "Maybe the El's influence is weaker the further we are away from Elrios."

"Add said these were powered by the El," Abysser remembered. "So our friends may be closer than we thought."

"That's optimistic of you to think so. How cute," Devi laughed. A faint smile appeared on her otherwise flawless features, "Things will be harder without our dear leader."

"Where's Elsword?"

Flame sat up. The fire user had her legs tucked in and her hair swept to the side. Her hands twitched in anticipation to pull out the Claymore mounted to her back to fight nonexistent corrupted monsters.

"Don't stand!" Timoria tugged the knight's arm down. Her small figure did little to help, waving her arms and flapping her bat-like wings in a flimsy effort to stop the red knight from moving. "You'll open your wounds."

"But what about Elsword?" Flame did mental headcount: Abysser, Timoria, Phantom, and Devi. "Is he safe?"

"He's gone. The monster left with him," Abysser said. "You need to heal first."

Physical contact snapped Flame out of a trance, kneeling on one knee for support and hissing from the pain. Clean bandages wrapped around her forearm and around her forehead, sweat accumulating inside her palms. Red sparks crackled from her fingertips and her hair faded back to a dull shade of red.

"Let us find him." Devi smirked, "We'll take care of the culprit."

"It's my fault that thing got away," Flame gritted her teeth. "If I had been faster-"

"You would be dead and snapped your spine," Devi said with curtness. "Five of us fought and it still walked. Do you really think you can take it on by yourself?"

"If that will save my brother, so be it." Flame was stubborn, "I'm his older sister."

Devi snapped, "Does he need a dead sister?"

The piercing question silenced Flame, trembling hands and the redhead biting the side of her cheeks from retaliating. She blinked, but there were tears, dampening one side of her face. It was painful to see the red knight losing confidence after the El Search Party narrowly rescued Elsword and brought him back to Elrianode.

Devi placed her hands Flame's, fingers intertwined and clasped together. In closing the distance between them, she pulled the fire user up. They stood inches apart with Devi placing one hand over the other's shoulder and leaning towards Flame.

"Elsword can take care of himself. Have some faith in him, he'll be safe," Devi reassured her. Her voice was light and chirpy, but her eyes narrowed and glistened at the next words. "Because if he isn't, I'll make sure the kidnapper knows that."

Flame laughed weakly, "I'll make sure to remember that."

"Let's think of a plan first." Abysser interrupted the two, "Our chance of survival will be better if there's more of us."

Devi and Flame glanced at each other and let go, hands and arms falling to the side. Flame wiped her sore face and fixed her eyes on the ground with newfound interest, using her Claymore encased in its sword sash as a base to support her weight. Lips fell back into a small frown as Devi lowered her head, deep in thought and seriousness traced over her features.

"You can't reach them?" Flame played with the microphone's mouthpiece.

"No," Phantom shook his head. "But they can't be far. I heard voices on the other side of the river. That might be them."

"Let's find the others," Flame said. "We can't afford to lose another member."

"Is finding everyone so important that we need to do it now?" Timoria asked, "It's getting late and demons are more active at night."

Devi glared at Flame. "You're not moving anywhere after I bandaged you."

Abysser sighed. Not that he had didn't trust his teammates, but they were above all still children, especially Devi with her hard headedness. Emotions ruled over her heart and too often lead to unnecessary conflicts.

He understood Flame's frustration in wanting to regroup after Rune was taken by the monsters, but was it wise to reunite into a bigger group and attract more attention? They defeated the corrupted beings, but not all of them. He had a feeling they would meet those monsters again if they were still lurking in the shadows. It was a close call to survive and they almost burned down the forest if not for the downpour that came after.

Where was Blade to tell them off on starting foolish fights? No wonder the old man was always tired.

"Hey, we don't need any more broken bones." Abysser scratched the back of his neck with exasperation. "We can always decide tomorrow on what to do next. Let's sleep over this before making rash decisions."

Night was quickly approaching, or at least that's what Timoria claimed anyway. As it was his first time in the Demon Realm like all of his teammates, he could only rely on what the smaller demon knew for information on enemy territory.

Threading into enemy territory was a commonality. Today would be the first time Abysser had to care for those besides himself. His former occupation gave him the luxury to fend for himself, although having teammates helped ease his mind from the implications of being in foreign realm.

"Fine," Flame crossed her arms and fought to keep her lips pursed.

Silver shooter in hand, Phantom played with the pistol, relaxing his fingers before toying over the trigger again. Resting his hand over Flame's shoulder, the blonde gave her an encouraging smile.

"I'll keep watch for the first two hours," Phantom volunteered. "You don't need to do that tonight. Go ahead and sleep."

Flame blinked at the offer, but accepted with a grateful smile.

Timoria grinned, placing her hand over her hips, "Wake me up so I can take over when you're done. I don't think any monsters will go after someone as strong as me, but you never know~"

Abysser snorted at Timoria's cheeky comment, but chuckled. Energetic as always. Things certainly didn't stay boring after he met Timoria and the others. For them to be excited over something as simple as keeping night patrol was endearing, if not childish. Years of traveling didn't dull their enthusiasm. It was good for his teammates to make decisions for themselves rather than wait for others.

"I'll go last," Devi looked at Abysser. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," Abysser replied.

They have known each other for at least two to three years, but her disdainful gaze hasn't dulled. How Devi viewed demons was poorly disguised, not that she made effort to hide it. Meeting a demon that maintained his reason was enough to make her snarl on command. And yet, she never raised her blade on him and willingly followed the group into Demon Realm. Abysser couldn't pretend to act like he understood her, but her loyalty over the few that did win her heart gave him rare insight into the spear user's mind.

Going before Devi means having Timoria will have to wake him up once her shift was done, Abysser mused. He would have roughly four to five hours of sleep before Timoria invaded his consciousness with some stupid meme joke Rune told her. Maybe he could make coffee and breakfast for everyone while Devi kept watch.

"Sleep well," Abysser said, but he knew Devi wasn't listening. Her eyes were only on a redhead, who was already asleep.

* * *

_Bluhen_

Knight didn't come back.

The presence of his El slipped away from Bluhen's subconscious like flickering flames. How could he allow this to happen? Monster blood dripped over his gloves, staining them with dark blue metallic grime. It wasn't until every last corrupted monster he could find was taken down did he notice Knight's disappearance. Waves of El washed over him, sending the priest over false trails to where he thought his friend was. He should have known better than to believe that his senses wouldn't be affected by the Dark El.

Night fell when he returned to a scattered campsite. Tents were still perched up, but there was a discernible sense of urgency among the chaos. Firewood piled over a pit with smoke and flames fanning over, ashes dusted over twigs and fallen logs feeding off of it. With a party as big as theirs, it was getting difficult for Bluhen to see who was present.

"He's not with you," a voice came from behind.

For the first time, Bluhen experienced a dry mouth in seeing the familiar red colored hair. It wasn't Knight's hair, but Empire Sword's. Long hair tied into a flowing ponytail with braids, she was Knight's sister. Empire was the youngest person to become a captain and led the Velder army. Apparently impressive according to humans, but it meant little to the priest. Ms. Wizard was a prodigy in magic and Mr. Ancient could wield nasod technology with ease. Was it unusual to say a woman could lead an army at a young age as well?

Bluhen made eye contact with the red knight with reluctance before lowering his head with shame. There was no way around it. He couldn't lie, especially to someone Knight held to in high regards. Knight would never forgive him. The priest shook his head, his eyes wandered anywhere but where Empire was.

"What happened?" Empire asked. "Aisha and Chung were gone all day and Rena was thinking of asking the dark elves tomorrow about Elsword. Was he with you?"

Mr. Guardian was supposed to be resting! Bluhen pressed a finger over his lips. Did everyone spend all day looking for Knight? He should have known that their group would go into a frenzy should their leader have gone missing. Envy bloomed in the depths of his heart, gnawing at his insides. Knight was fortunate to be cared for by so many people. Crude thoughts sat on the edge of Bluhen's tongue, who fought the urge to chide at their trite efforts when they should be conserving their energy. It was his fault Knight went missing, not them…

_What happened_, Bluhen mouthed in mimicry. Ambush. In the forest. They were outnumbered and outpowered. Knight urged him to head the opposite direction to cut down on their opponents' forces against them. It worked, but where was Knight? Bluhen laughed without humor.

"Corrupted monsters," was all Bluhen could muster, afraid to talk more in betraying his voice. "He's gone."

"Here?" Empire was alarmed, "But we left them behind in Elrianode."

"Well someone or something must have let them in," Bluhen was relieved to find his words again.

"You, Red." A man with a fringe over one his eyes appeared to the sound of their voices. Doom Bringer glanced over to Bluhen.

"Is there something you need?" Empire ignored the nickname gifted by the brawler. For someone who had received news of her brother gone missing, she remained composed with her lips sealed into a straight line and an even voice. Many in her position would have burst into tears, but Empire left little vulnerabilities in her exterior.

"Nasod Arm wanted to show you something." Bringer said. There was no jeering from the tracer, all business in his tone. What did Mr. Half-Nasod see in making Mr. Ancient the messenger boy?

"Raven found something?" The red knight's attention turned to Bringer. "What is it?"

"You don't have it with you?" Bluhen asked.

For once, Bringer was uncertain on his choice of words, scrutinizing them with an unreadable expression. Was that pity he sensed from the brawler? He mumbled, "Nasod Arm wanted you to see it first before anyone else."

It was as if Bluhen wasn't there, although it was far from the first thing that made him dislike the brawler. Two sharp tongued individuals holding a conversation could only erupt into a full spar. The strange clothes and the way Bringer talked made him an easy target for Bluhen to pick on. With Knight gone, there was little else to obscure them from having more disagreements.

Looking at Bluhen, the tracer shrugged. "Guess you can come too since Elbrat liked you."

Bluhen didn't like the use of the past tense. The short gasp from Empire told him the same, the red haired woman gritting her teeth before forcing a smile. Did she always do that? Ms. Knight Captain may not have it all together as he initially thought.

A man with impressive armor was waiting for them inside a pitched up tent. Black armor outlined with orange highlights plated around his arms, shoulders, and over his back with chest exposed. Bluhen made out something black and metallic case gleaming from under Rage's arm.

A black scabbard. Clutching it in hand, Rage handed it to the red knight, "I found it lying in the forest. I'm sorry."

She grasped the case with clenched teeth, breathing light shallow breaths. Silent tears streaked down her cheeks as Empire mourned. Her body visibly shook, dropping her defense and cradling the greatsword with care.

Bringer and Bluhen exchanged glances at one another before the brawler approached the red-haired woman. Arm extended out, Bringer placed his hand over her head - what was he doing? It took Bluhen a split second to realize that he was patting her back, an awkward gesture, but not one with bad intent. Bringer wore a scowl not directed at her.

Seeing Empire cry struck something deep within Bluhen, who held no reaction even as he witnessed the once prideful knight fall into despair. Even Mr. Ancient had enough sense to comfort a crying woman when the priest struggled to speak more than two sentences at a time. He was supposed to have more self-awareness of his emotions, wasn't he?

"You look pale," Rage's voice brought Bluhen back to the present. "Are you okay?"

Bluhen shrugged it off with a laugh, "It's nothing. You should be more worried for Ms. Knight Captain."

The older male gave him with a serious expression (Did he ever smile?), "I can be worried for all of you."

He couldn't fathom that kind of response, but Bluhen nodded as if he understood. Maybe once he gets some rest, he'll have more time to process and sort out his emotions. His head spun as one thing after another was said to him.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting something?" Daybreaker entered the tent with urgency.

Perched over her glove was an entity that vaguely resembled a bird. White wings branched out with lime green ends matching its tail feathers and a single gem carved into its pale chest. Big enough to put up a fight with the eagles inhabiting Lanox, it flapped its wings a few times before settling on top of Daybreaker's shoulder with content, cooing as the elf stroked its feathers. Despite having no eyes, Bluhen felt its gaze if it could have one because its head turned to him with scrutiny in its gestures.

"I just talked to Aisha," Between the elf's index finger was a green notepad with simplistic flowers bordering the edges. It was the first time Bluhen had seen it, but he caught a glimpse of neat handwriting in emerald ink, letters curled and intertwined at the ends to one another.

"Aisha's here?" Empire wiped her tears away, fixed her posture, and was quick to get back on her feet. No matter how long he had known them, Knight's friends never failed to impress Bluhen. It was hard to believe she was crying just moments ago.

Daybreaker shook her head, tapping her finger over a communicator identical to the set the rest of the party had, a black device with deep purple lines marked on the sides. After losing Apsara in Hamel ten times too many, Bringer pulled an all-nighter to build a set so they could keep tabs on each other for long distances.

"She said Chung was with her," Daybreaker said. "They've at the edge of the forest where the dark elves are."

"What are they doing there?" Bringer asked. "Unless they're suggesting the brat pissed them off-"

"I would watch your mouth when talking about someone who was recently declared deceased, Mr. Ancient." Bluhen set his tone to what he thought was a friendly one, but the brawler's reaction told him an opposing story. Arms slumped over the side, a sheepish expression over pale features and artificial eyes that made him unearthly to look at. The priest shared no guilt in making Bringer uncomfortable for the unruly comment.

"Guys," Empire glared at the bickering men. "Ain, I know you're upset, but now is not the time. Add, please refrain yourself from talking about my brother like that."

"I was going to say it's unlikely because the idiot spent too much time making friends with the dark elves," Bringer grumbled.

That didn't change his view of Bringer for the better, but the answer wasn't one Bluhen expected. With the amount of complaining and snide commentaries, he thought the tracer loathed Knight for petty reasons he still didn't understand. "Nasod King," was all Bringer would offer for an explanation when asked. Just when he thought he had stayed long enough with the El Search Party, humans continued to surpass his expectations for them. How peculiar.

Sensing the tension between the party, Rage coughed. "There's valuable information she can't disclose," he read off the notepad from his angle. "They want us to meet up with them first thing tomorrow morning."

"That's right," Daybreaker breathed in relief for an excuse to change the topic. "It sounds like Aisha and Chung found something big because they want all of us to be present."

"What do you think, Add?" Empire asked, "does it look like a trap?"

"Now you ask me for my opinion?" The brawler cackled, "Bring us all together and we'll be a neatly wrapped gift for someone to ambush us. But you're going to ignore me, aren't you?"

"It's true that our big number has made us easy targets," Empire rubbed her forehead, "However, I think our chances of survival are higher if we stay as a group if we see those corrupted beasts from Elrianode."

"I'll tell everyone else in camp to pack for tomorrow," Rage offered. "Is there anything else we should know?"

Daybringer rescanned her notes and paused, scrunching up her brows in confusion. Placing her finger over the last line, she was hesitant.

"They said to bring extra potions and to have Ain close by."

"Did they forget to bring medicine with them?" Empire pondered out loud. "That's unlike them. What's going on?"

Bluhen couldn't begin to guess what the answer could be.

* * *

_Anemos_

Hair tied back into a ponytail, wind picked up beneath Anemos' feet. Leaves scattered into the gusting winds around her. The sky painted a vibrant contrast of blues and reds as she observed Furious Blade cleaning his blade for the umpteenth time that evening. Fire crackled in a pitch for Anemos to curl up closer for warmth, closing her hands tight before opening them to feel the night air.

Not unlike some parts of Elrios, the Demon Realm held many species of flora and fauna she had never heard or seen before her journey with her teammates. Uneasiness settled after dinner when Anemos finally had the time to assess their situation.

They have spent almost a full day in a new world where night and day held no distinction unless they checked for time from Dominator, who was more than happy to tell them down to the last second. Half of their friends have gone missing despite having spent much of the day searching for them. Anemos prayed that they didn't suffer a similar fate as Rune, who was snatched away by the monsters from Elrianode that showed up out of nowhere. By the time she and the others arrived at the scene, their friends were nowhere to be found. Were Henir cultists waiting for them?

"I take it that your arm is healing well?" A perky voice asked. Arms crossed, Oz elaborated when Anemos raised a brow. "That demon thorns were pretty nasty."

"Works perfect like a charm," Anemos beamed. "You really are something for coming up with something on the spot."

Oz smirked, "What can I say? I'm a natural, but I have to say your knowledge on those herbs were spot on."

None of the elixirs could heal the burn. Anemos was an alchemist, but she had more faith the dark mage, who specialized in antidotes and curse remedies. Finding ingredients that wouldn't harm elves and humans wasn't difficult when combining Anemos' knowledge on plants with Dominator's technology. The fauna here weren't too alien to the ones she knew as a child when she lived with elves. Even if half of the plants were fluorescent, the similarities were enough for Anemos to question if Demon Realm was a mirror world to what Elrios was. It fit the theory they learned in Elrianode.

Beside her was Dominator, who had Dynamo rearranged into a seat for the scientist to sit on. Anemos couldn't imagine how anyone could be comfortable sitting on blocks of cubes for support, but Dominator didn't seem to notice or care. Mumbling to himself, he leaned over, scrutinizing his codes over an impressive array of holographic screens. Light from the screens lit up his face, an eerie glow in the dark.

"Is that the communicator?" Anemos saw the device sitting in the scientist's hand. At a glance, it was unimpressive and could fit inside one's palm, white with lilac highlights. It had a magnetic clip to pin on their clothes and could communicate long distance for days at a time.

"And now a piece of trash," Dominator snorted. "The Dark El is making it hard for it to connect to the others."

"So you're throwing it away?" Oz asked.

"I never said that," the scientist was offended by the suggestion. "It just needs recoding and adjustments."

Anemos laughed, "Thank you. That's more than enough."

Even if Anemos was old enough to remember the Nasod War, her knowledge in Nasods and human technology was limited. She more often than not relied on Dominator and Code: Ultimate to explain the technicalities. Elves had their own branch of science and technology, but the progress humans made was admirable, even if the outcomes weren't always benign.

The coy expression off Dominator's face evaporated into nervousness when he heard the sound of steel boots quickly approaching. He stood up and laugh. "Ah, Eve. Did you finally decide to join us? How-"

"I have a question," Ultimate cut him off. "Did you set the correct coordinates?" Her wings were hidden from lack of use, but her helmet remained in place. Moby and Remy floated beside the Nasod queen.

"Of course I did!" Dominator protested, "Are you saying I miscalculated?"

"I'm asking if you are aware that we are weeks ahead than yesterday," she said with more iciness than should be possible for a Nasod. Pointing at Oz, the Nasod queen narrowed her eyes. "Moby and Remy are detecting your El resonance in two places."

"Weeks ahead?" That caught Blade's attention.

"What do you mean there's someone with my El resonance?" Oz demanded to know and turned to Dominator, "Explain."

"Hey, this is all new to me too!" Dominator sweated and chose to address Ultimate's questions first, "Maybe there was a time jump, but as long as it's the right dimension…"

"Demon Realm is indeed a dimension of its own, but Ms. Queen is correct. There is someone else with El resonance like Ms. Wizard. I sense someone with Mr. Guardian's El as well, but I don't think it's him." Richter contributed his opinion on the matter.

"Aren't you the chatty one today," Dominator mused.

Richter ignored the scientist.

_Chung and Aisha?_ Anemos shook her head. Phantom's status was unknown with their means of communication being down, but Oz has been with them the whole time since they have crash landed into Demon Realm. It reminded her of the shadows plaguing the Hall of El. Could this be the enemy luring them out? This was strange.

"But this is Demon Realm, is it not?" Blade asked, "Does it matter if it's not the exact one we had in mind?"

Dominator checked his screens for a detail he may have missed with furrowed brows. Panels ran a multitude of programs all at once, an overwhelming maze of colors blinking numbers and letters too rapidly for one to process.

"The Queen and priest are right about the El resonance," Dominator said. "Time differences aside, there's a possibility that the Demon Realm is occupied by us from another dimension. We might run into them."

"You gotta be kidding me," Oz grumbled. Looking at her teammates for a reaction, the dark mage backed away when no one rejected Dominator's explanation. "Seriously? Really?" She groaned, "Nothing is ever simple when Elsword is involved!"

"Add brought us here," Ultimate corrected her.

"Who joined us because of Elsword!" The purple haired woman threw her arms in the air, "I swear, when I find that idiot, I'm gonna... Who thought it was a good idea to come here?"

"It's already done," Blade shrugged. "It can't be helped."

Another version of themselves. Anemos wasn't sure what to think about that. They have encountered Henir's dimension because of Glave, but knowing that there were others like themselves was a harder concept to wrap one's mind around. What should happen if they were to meet themselves?

"Hello?" Dominator's voice was soft, "Ah, lab rat. Still alive I see. Huh? No, everyone's here."

"Is that Chung?" Oz twisted her body in seeing the scientist talking into the communicator. "You got it to work?" She fumed when her question was left unanswered.

"The brat isn't with you? I see… You're close to the riverbed, okay." Dominator seemed aware of the sudden attention he had earned from his teammates, grinning when he caught them looking at him for information. "Tomorrow morning? Got it. Demons active at night… that will be valuable information to know for the future."

When Dominator hung up the call, the campsite broke into chaos.

"You sure enjoy hearing yourself talk," Oz had her arms behind her head.

"You're one to talk, witch!" Dominator quipped back and turned red at her comment.

"Everyone must be well rested," Blade raised his voice. "Go straight to bed after this!"

"I'll have Remy and Moby scan for the safest route tomorrow," Ultimate said.

Anemos sighed, "At least we can sleep tonight knowing where everyone is."

Richter closed his eyes, "we still need to find Elsword."

Anemos' expression softened, "I know. Please be patient. We'll find him."

Richter didn't respond.

The elf raised her hand to touch his shoulder with kindness. She wanted him to know he wasn't alone in worrying for their friend. Rune would have chuckled and called them mother hens for fussing over him. His cheery and optimistic personality was naive, foolish, but it was something that beckoned Anemos to keep an eye on him, ever curious to see what his decision would be when confronted with troubled waters. She wondered if that was what made so many join him on a never ending journey most humans would have grown tired to after weeks.

Finding a place to rest, Anemos laid out her sleeping bag when she heard sparks. It didn't sound like it was coming from their campfire. A demon or a small animal? She thought she saw something in the forest. Four thin black tails poked out from a bush in a distance, but when Anemos went to check, there was nothing.

What was that?


	3. Mind and Body

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** K+  
**Word Count:** 6,368

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 03: Mind and Body**_

* * *

_Rage Hearts_

A couple of dark elves were stationed when the El Search Party arrived at the outpost with heavy eyelids. The dark elf elder must have instructed them to stay behind if they were still in the process of evacuating the village. White masks obscured their faces, but their sharpened knives and bows positioned for an ambush made it clear they weren't letting their guard down.

The sentry guardians let them cram under a tent for shelter from the rain. Black clouds clustered together in an erratic array, thunder striking against Rage's eardrums as rain overflowed the undergrowth. Lightning flashed in irregular intervals as he and his friends waited in painful silence.

Packing that morning was less than a hassle. Apsara only forgot to retrieve her spare weapons once and it took less than three trips to pack Chevalier's elaborate tea set customized from Lanox. Being a soldier himself, he didn't own a lot of possessions. He spent most of the morning making sure nothing was left behind and that everyone was present and accounted for. They were waiting for Aether and Crusader when one of the dark elves spoke.

"Your party number seems to increase every time we meet."

"I'm sorry?" Perplexed by what the dark elf meant, Rage did a mental headcount. There were nine of them, which was three short because Knight was gone and they were still waiting for two party members to rejoin. Did the dark elf mistaken?

"No, there are nine of us," Apsara waved her finger in the air to recount their team members.

The dark elf didn't falter from her statement, "I saw humans in the forest last night. Elder Edith told us not to attack on her command, but if you are hiding more humans..."

"We're not," Rage said. "If there were more of us, we would have told you."

"How many people were there?" Code: Esencia asked.

"At least a dozen," the other dark elf replied. "They were in smaller groups as you were."

"Sorry for the wait," Aether stepped under the tent. Her staff raised above her head to form a magical barrier shielding her from the rain. In contrast to the El Search Party, Aether remained dry aside from a few wrinkles that needed to be ironed out. "It took longer than I thought to get here with the sudden rain."

"We'll be outside if you humans need us," the dark elf said. Her comrade nodded to the party and excuse themselves from the tent.

The dark elves have left the El Search Party with new information that must have been baffling for them because Daybringer had ceased talking to Bluhen, who had a sullen expression but nodded when she stopped to explain something. Empire, Ishtar, and Chevalier discussed among themselves on the implications of potential human allies. Esencia and Bringer were silent on the affair, deep in their thoughts and had nothing to contribute to the conversation.

_There at least a dozen humans beside them!_ Rage was shocked by the number. They haven't had new members join the El Search Party since Chevalier and Ishtar, who arrived as a pair in Lanox. Regardless, with strict policies to outsiders, it was unlikely for humans to settle in Varnimyr without the dark elves' notice. Who were those strangers and what were the chances of coming into contact with them? With their luck, very likely.

"What's going on? Everyone's quiet," Aether frowned.

"Sorry, Aisha. I could hardly sleep last night." Apsara wiped her eyes to dust away a tear, "It was hard to."

"Sorry about the late letter," Aether chuckled. "Didn't want you to worry for not saying where we were."

"Where's Chung?" Rage noted the absence of the young man.

The mage stuttered, "He's occupied at the moment. Don't worry, he'll be here soon!"

Aether smiled, but her brows visibly twitching at an intensity that left little of her answer to be believed. Sitting between Rage and Apsara, she had her hands over the helm of her skirt, picking at a loose piece of thread she found. Worry and discomfort were apparent in how she crossed her legs with restlessness.

"What did you want to tell us?" Empire sat next to the mage.

Aether hummed, "There's a trail leading to clues that might tell us what happened to Elsword. You must have seen the forest before you arrived."

It was unlike anything they have seen before. Unevenly burned and charred, the trees were stripped bare of their bark and collapsed at the slightest human contact. The smell of smoke was still fresh in Rage's mind. Parts of it were still burning from yesterday when Bluhen found the battle site until the downpour started. It was no ordinary fire. The burn marks stopped abruptly midway through the woods and the destructive path it laid in ruins was too well calculated to be of natural occurrence.

Albeit the clumsiness and likely lack of control over their magic, Rage could see the power in what was leftover from how through the fire was. He had doubts they would find anything of use from the remnants of the burned down forest. Broken bottles and discarded glass jars told the mercenary the damage was likely caused by another human. An arsonist in the Demon Realm? The magic humans used for magic was different than the blue fire Ishtar and Chevalier used in battle. Not as destructive as demon fire, but just as unpredictable and difficult to control without proper training.

"There were footprints, but as you may guess, most of it was gone by the time we found them." Aether said, "Human footprints mixed with-"

"Corrupted Elrianode monsters," Bluhen finished, long eyelashes brushing over green pupils. "Elsword wanted to assess the cause of the sudden spike in the presence of El. I agreed to go with him to ensure his safety, but we were split apart when we saw the monsters."

That was new information for the El Search Party.

Bringer's scowl grew deeper, uttering incohesive words that were less than savory. Apsara looked at Empire with concern as the red knight's shoulders stiffened at the mention of her brother, clamping her gloved hands into tight fists. Quiet chatter spouted between some of the team members, words of hushed worry and fear.

Esencia wasn't as transparent in her emotions, but the sadness in her eyes was apparent. The Nasod queen placed her weight on Remy and Moby, patting them with gentleness unlike one of a Nasod.

"That idiot," Aether growled. Red flashed across the mage's features, a mixture of anger and regret, even guilt from how hard she gripped her staff if that was any indication. "He could have waited for us to help him with the investigation. Why does he think he has to deal with everything by himself?"

Knight would have taken their concern with a bashful laugh. Flustered but with an appreciative smile before covering his embarrassment with an apology, leaving one to wonder if the man was aware of the effect he had on others.

He was not the most intelligent of the bunch, but his impressive stamina and strive to move forward was admirable. That was what made Knight approachable and likable because he wasn't threatening. Rare naivety for someone his age, yet it was his strength to explains why he had supportive friends willing to stay by his ideals.

"Um… The dark elves said they saw humans." Apsara decided to change the topic to break the silence, "What does that mean? I thought we were the only ones. Did you see them, Aisha?"

The mage shook her head.

"It's not improbable," Ishtar said, the former demon monarch idly flicking her tail. "It would be naive to think we were the first outsiders the dark elves have met. Demons have invaded the human world before, so it's not unlikely the same has happened in reverse."

"Is it an invasion if there are only twelve of them?" Chevalier mused.

"Humans are capable even in small numbers," Esencia stated.

_That's why humans won the Nasod War_, Rage thought. Humans do not have half the abilities demons, but their adaptability and tenacity made up for it, as he had found out when he met the El Search Party. No one else was as foolish or stubborn as the children that were willing to put their lives on the line to rescue a bizarre cyborg experiment.

"Should we warn the dark elves?" Daybreaker asked.

"We don't know what kind of people they are," Apsara argued. "We should watch them first before we do anything. They could be new allies!"

"Or they can be new enemies," Bringer drawled. "But still, not a bad idea."

"I sense their El," Bluhen said. "But they share the same wavelength as us. They have better control over it than the demons do."

"What you described sounds like the shadows we fought in the Hall of El." Aether crossed her arms.

The shadows' physical appearances, movements, even their voices mirrored their real counterparts. They were manifestations of the El, whispering sweet promises and luring them into a false sense of security. It was a good thing none of them caved in because the El Search Party could have disbanded from missing members.

Daybreaker crossed examined the purple-haired woman with the eyes of a medic, taking note of the lack of open wounds or injuries. It didn't appear that Aether partook in a recent fight. "You seem to be in good health, but what about Chung? Are the potions for him?"

"I guess you can say that," Aether rubbed her forehead. "He'll be here soon enough, hahaha…"

Her nervous and forced laughter left more questions than answers. She was going to leave red marks on her forehead if she kept rubbing it.

The mage mumbled, "What's taking him so long?"

Rage narrowed his eyes. Aether was an intelligent young woman, but hiding information from the group was not what the mercenary appreciated if they were discussing the health of a fellow team member. Opening his mouth, he was ready to interrogate her before Empire interjected.

"We can wait for Chung, but you need to be honest with us if he doesn't come in fifteen minutes." Empire warned Aether, "I understand if he wants you to lie to spare our feelings, but we don't have the time to play these charades."

"Right…" Aether's eyes averted.

"Did you find the remains?" Bringer ignored the leers Bluhen was sending him. "We found the loser's scabbard. Did you call this meeting to tell us what we already know?"

It was strange his scabbard was the only thing remaining. Where did Knight's greatsword go? His scabbard was identified closer to their campsite than where Rage thought the battle between their former leader and the monsters took place. The ones Bluhen fought must have been the last of them because they did not come across any on their way to the resting station to reunite with their teammates. Those beings held no inhibition or motivation of their own unless controlled by a Henir cultist.

"Remains?" Aether gawked at the brawler, "What are you talking about?"

"Ow, let go!" A familiar voice whined from outside the tent.

A male voice exclaimed, "You're going to reopen your wounds if you walk like that!"

"Your grip is going to reopen them!" They huffed, "When did you get this strong? Easy on the hand holding!"

The voices grew louder in a cacophony.

Drenched from the rain was a young man emerging into the tent. He wore an unbuttoned thin white jacket with red lining on the edges and belts, which was also soaked from the inconvenient weather. Metallic pieces plated over his thighs for reasons Rage couldn't understand. What were those plates supposed to protect? Red runes etched over his bare tanned skin on his arms and lower stomach, revealing more runes carved into his palms when he opened them.

Behind him was Crusader. The ponytailed man had an umbrella over his head with a medical kit in hand. Destroyer was strapped to his back and one arm interlocked around the other. His determination was visible as Crusader tugged his elbow inward and pulling them towards the center to Aether's fire to warm up.

"If you don't stay still, those scars will become permanent." Crusader chastised.

"What's another scar to add to the many?" He shrugged, "It's not like we have a healer or anything."

"We have Ain."

"Since when does Ain heal?"

Aether groaned.

Long tangled hair tied into a lower ponytail, bangs pulled back by a black headband that did little to keep his fringe out of his eyes. Eyes the color of fire matched his hair. Rage gawked at his choice of clothes. What was he wearing? Those plates weren't going to protect him from anything unless the demons wanted to attack his thighs.

"Why are you all so serious?" The man let out a nervous chuckle at his new audience, "You all look like someone just died."

Empire stepped forward, eyes glazed over him. Arms across the newcomer's shoulders, she croaked at the familiar face.

"Elsword?"

* * *

_Devi _

The sun warmed the frigid forest undergrowth with tenderness. Devi smelled smoke coming from the fire Abysser kept alive throughout the night, waking up in hourly shifts to rekindle the dying light. It was a commitment she admired from a distance, not wanting to bother the demon in his morning ritual. Pots and pans clattered in the background as Abysser gathered ingredients he had stocked in Elrianode in preparation for breakfast.

Marigold glowed in the lower portion to indigo and maroon where the horizon was, a mild portion of the sky in what Devi assumed was what mornings were like in the Demon Realm. In contrast to the numerous moons rotating on their axis, the lonesome sun dipped past the hills. The forest's chatter dismissed from activity as Devi examined her fingernails, curling them tight in anticipation with quivered lips.

She promised she would follow Flame.

Despite the inconvenience she had brought to the El Search Party because of Ran's actions, Flame waited for her. What started as routine sparring sessions blossomed into more. They talked about their brothers, their hometowns, the food and people they saw, and the wonders they experienced on their journeys. Although the red knight wasn't the brightest and sometimes needed things to be explained, her presence was candlelight when Devi was in a dark place.

Resting her head on her bag, Flame remained exhausted and woozy from last night fight, restless in sleep. Red strands fluttered past her face as she slept on her side, arms tucked into her body. Her chest rose with each passing breath, unaware of Devi sitting close by on a fallen log and watching over her.

The Rune Master meant the world to Flame. Devi understood the feeling of losing a close family member after finally catching a glimpse of them even for a short period of time. Raised in the army and asked to lead at a young age, Flame admitted that her happiest moment wasn't reuniting with her father, but seeing Rune again and joining his band of oddballs in Velder. Devi couldn't forget the rage and panic Flame had when she almost lost her brother to the El.

It was unfair to despise the boy for playing martyr out of the selfless belief that it would restore the El and everything would be fine and dandy. If that was his idea of justice, Devi could respect that, but placing his life in danger shortly after affected her more than she had expected herself to be.

Rune could have chosen not to listen to her story after she had blocked them from attacking her brother. No one was forcing him to accept Devi into the El Search Party or provide her the resources to strengthen her spear. Kindness seemed to run in the family because Rune never judged her for her decision to pursue power over more noble goals

"It sounds important to you, so I trust you." He said when Devi gave him a quizzical eye.

_Missing him?_ Eun asked.

_Only because he brings her pain,_ Devi replied. She could hear the doubt in the fox spirit's thoughts but knew better than to probe further.

If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have met Flame or the other party members, who were just as accepting. It was the kind of trust that could easily be taken advantage of by others.

Devi smelled the eggs and steamed rice. She considered offering a hand and helping Abysser set the table, but arrangements were already made with plates and bowls ready, utensils lined up and ready to feed five people.

_There's only five of us_, Eun reminded her.

_Six if we count you,_ Devi held a blank expression on that line of thought. They were seven people short with Rune's whereabouts unknown. Flame was insistent on regrouping with the rest of their friends. When Devi woke up for her shift, Abysser passed a message that Dominator had found a way to reach them over their communication devices. They were going to leave after breakfast.

Flame moved. Stretching her limbs, she reached for her bag to retrieve a hairbrush to untangle her hair and rolled to the side to greet Devi.

"Mornin'" Her girlfriend yawned. "Did you sleep well?"

Smiling at her, Devi shook her head. "You know I can't sleep through the night as well as you can."

Which was true, because the Demon Realm wasn't free from crickets. Their loud chirps made the forest come alive and left Devi lying in cold sweat from moving in her sleep. Summers in Demon Realm couldn't escape insects either, it seemed.

"What's on your mind?" Flame teased, "You look like Eun just told you Elsword ate the last steak."

"I didn't know he could eat that much!" Devi fumed, feeling her cheeks flush red and stuttered. "You should get ready for breakfast. We're leaving after to meet up with the others."

"You heard from them?" Flame was impressed. "That was quick!"

Devi thought about the effort Dominator must have put into making their means of communication functional despite Dark El tempering with it. His fascination with Nasods wasn't something she understood nor did she care for, but if it helped them on their journey and made things more convenient, then she wasn't going to complain. It wouldn't surprise her if the scientist pulled an all-nighter.

"Why stop when you can make more improvements?" Dominator would have puffed his chest with pride.

Breakfast was a quiet affair with humble food and bread rationed among party members to last them for at least a few days for their upcoming expedition. With only five mouths to feed, although that would soon bump back to eleven, it didn't take long to wash the dishes and clean up afterward. It felt like they were camping outside Atlas Station again, surrounded by a foreign environment and little known information to what was in their future.

It started raining when they finished packing. Water droplets pelted them as Devi clenched her gown to the side to avoid getting it wet, grumbling to herself with dismay. It felt like years since their last experienced proper rainfall, which was when they stopped at Atlas Station. Clouds cluttered and darkened without warning, releasing a downpour over their group as they searched for higher ground to avoid the overflowing river.

"Where did you say we were meeting them again?" Flame pressed her forehead against her palm, rubbing her eyes.

"I told them where we were," Phantom said. "Hopefully they can find out through this rain."

Phantom had a baby blue umbrella over his head and a matching scarf. Equally blue eyes locked into Devi's, still shorter than the older woman even with the added centimeters from his armor. Gray clouds reflecting off his pupils, difficult to read and unpredictable as the way he fought the Hamel demons on their first meeting.

The other half of their group contacted him when Phantom was on patrol duty for the night. From then, the message was passed down the rest of their small group with Devi being the last to tell Flame.

"What are you going to do once we find Elsword?" Phantom asked.

"The same as before," Devi flashed a sharp-fanged smile. "Ran is still out there and those demons won't slaughter themselves."

Phantom didn't flinch at the half threat, but the disapproval was clear. If he was requesting for a different answer this time, then the guardian of Hamel was in for a disappointment.

Devi let out a humorless laugh. Her brother was still a high priority on her list and taking down the demons that brought him to his fate was her answer. She wasn't going to pretend it wasn't a selfish act. It was personal and had little to no involvement with the grander scheme of the El or those involved with it. Ran was but a mere pawn to the demons that wished to invade Elrios and use their resources.

Strange how life played its pieces into place. She was on the same side as the man who wanted to take down her brother despite the risks that may jeopardize their relations.

"I hope you understand what it means if you can't make him change his mind," Phantom chose his words with care.

"I know," Devi gripped her hands around her umbrella. They would have to take him down, a thought that had her clenched her teeth on the possibility. "I see them."

She made out the outlines of Oz's hat and Dominator's drones residing behind the scientist, their shadows obscuring the other half of the El Search Party emerging from the storm. They regrouped under the trees, laying their weapons and possessions against the tree trunks. Most of them wore raincoats that went down to their knees with matching umbrellas.

"I hope there was no trouble getting here," Phantom said. "Did you come across any demons?"

"Not as many as I thought there would be." Anemos was apologetic, "Sorry for the wait!"

"Let's not do this again," Oz wiped her brow. "This place is big enough as is when we're together."

Devi agreed. They had wasted a day searching for each other and avoiding bringing attention to themselves because of their unceremonious entrance into a new world. Too many detours like in Elrios. They could be searching for answers on the Dark El, but time was running out.

"Any signs or clues to where Elsword is?" Abysser asked.

Richter leaned closer to where Anemos was and averted his gaze when addressed by the demon. Long strands of hair combed over his eyes. The priest stood still under the tree, rain trickling down his pale neck as he engaged in a locked staring contest with Abysser.

Abysser was the first to blink.

"We didn't find anything, but there are tents nearby." Abysser took the lack of response from Richter and the others for a no. "I think we'll have luck if we ask the residents living here."

"I see."

Displeasure appeared on Richter's face not unlike her own, just as irritated on the suggestion of cooperating with demons. They have a poor track record with demons outside of Timoria and Abysser, although that was to be expected with their reputation for giving demons trouble.

"Eve, is there a way you can search for Elsword?" Flame asked.

Gazing at her with sympathy, Ultimate said. "Remy and Moby can run a scan, but it will take time. They need time to analyze."

"Thank you," Flame was appreciative. "I guess that brings us back to square one on finding Elsword."

"Unless we run into ourselves," Blade mumbled.

"What?" Devi stared at the mercenary with intent, waiting for Blade to say he was joking. Okay, the old man was as likely to start joking when Dominator would stop gushing over ancient codes.

"I...may have brought us into the wrong Demon Realm and we might run into ourselves," Dominator admitted with a sheepish grin.

Devi groaned, "Is that going to give us problems?"

There were correct Demon Realms now? Devi covered her face with a gloved hand and choked on her saliva. There were only so many times she could handle dimension-hopping. First, there was Elysion, then Elrianode, she guessed Demon Realm was another to add to the list.

"If they're anything like us, they might be helpful in finding the brat," Dominator mused. "Assuming they don't see us as a threat."

_How reassuring,_ Eun yawned.

_Not if we take them down first,_ Devi thought.

"Wrong Demon Realm or not, we still need a starting point to find Elsword." Blade said, "I think Ciel is right in asking around. We can learn more about the Demon Realm and where we are."

"We can do that after the rain stops," Flame stared at the gray skies. "I doubt we'll find anyone in this weather."

Devi gazed at the sky too. It was the kind of weather for her and brother to sit around the fire for a cup of tea after dinner. She was always careful not to add too many tea leaves after the one time she forgot and used all of them in one sitting. Ran wouldn't stop laughing about it afterward, but it didn't make her feel bad because he offered to make a new pot of tea. If they were in a different Demon Realm, did that mean this Ran wasn't the one she grew up with? Devi didn't know what to think of that.

Alternatives of themselves. What were they like? Would her counterpart be nothing but a shadow of herself like those manifestations in the Hall of El? Or would the look-alike be a mirror image for Devi to notice the visible flaws until she had enough and lose her mind? If there was another Flame, would they still get along? Devi laid her head down and sighed. She had enough of this dimension bullshit.

* * *

_Knight Emperor _

"_Who are you?" Knight stared at the sleeping figure. A trap set by demons? What were they doing here? _

_That couldn't be a civilian. They shared his face. Not an exact copy because they wore their hair like they left a late-night party and had questionable clothes, but that wasn't the point! How could that be possible? They felt too real to be an imitation like the shadows he had fought in the Temple of Trials. _

"_Ugh, my head hurts." They stood up, wobbling with their hand over their head. "Woah, did I hit my head that hard? I see two of me!" _

"_You're telling me," Knight crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, studying his look alike. The red markings reminded him of the runes he studied when he still bothered going to school before picking up a sword. Well, they couldn't both call themselves Elsword, so his counterpart was going to be named Rune. Wait, he was getting distracted... "Why are you here?"_

"_Better question," Rune laughed. "Why are you here?" _

"_I don't have time for this," Knight groaned at the question flipped on its head and back to himself. "Earthquakes are going on and we still don't know anything about the Dark El. I need to get back to my friends and-"_

"_Wow, you're searching for answers on that too?" That perked Rune's attention, "I guess you really are me!"_

_Knight wasn't as keen on being associated with his counterpart. Past experiences with similar entities were unpleasant and often ended in brawls. Would that happen again with this one? Knight closed his eyes. He was still exhausted from the fight. _

"_Hey, don't space out on me. Are you okay?" _

_Knight jerked his head forward to the sound of rattling, his mind paused on the present and went to autopilot. Twisting his body, Knight threw himself in front of his counterpart and blocked a set of sharp teeth with his sword, shoving his counterpart to the ground with his free hand and away from the attacker. Knight opened his mouth to scream at Rune to leave, but nothing came out. He could feel the demon breathing down on him as it pinned him. _

_The demon attacked. _

Water dripped from the high ceiling, echoing within the walls of the enclosure with no interruptions. The ground was damp and had a mossy smell to the gravel beneath Knight's boots. He woke up to the sight of a sharp point of a crystal growing from the ceiling, pointing down to where he laid. Knight held his breath and pulled himself away before he could hurt himself from wanting to touch the crystal to see if it was as tough as his greatsword.

Fluorescent light radiated from crystals on the sides of the walls in pink, orange, blue, and purple, some as tall as a human adult. Some of the crystals sprouted from the ceiling and the ground up, forming an effective wall and blocking possible exits. Smaller rocks were placed strategically in the corners of the confinement. Shelves carved into the walls behind him with nothing but dust to greet Knight.

Where was he? Peeking through the gaps between the crystallized wall, repeated formations of crystals and boulders expanded with no end in sight. He was inside a cavern. A metallic smell stuck to the walls, one that Knight was well accustomed to by now. It smelled like blood.

Was this the Shadow Driller's hideout? Knight turned around frantically in search for the demon that brought him here. It resembled the Shadow Snipers invading Hamel almost two years ago, but it looked stronger. Thorns protruded over its head and orange scales plated over its spine and limbs, standing on hind legs and claws reached out for him. It was easily taller than him by at least one to two heads. What was Knight supposed to do if there were more of them?

He needed to leave.

The Emperor Knight reached for his greatsword from the sheath on his back, feeling for his weapon and moving his arm back further when there was nothing. His blood turned into ice. The absence of his weapon was apparent.

He failed to keep his promise to his friends and got himself caught in a sticky situation. How long would it take for the El Search Party to figure out where he was? Knight himself didn't know how far he was from his friends. He didn't remember seeing a cave or a cavern close to their campsite.

Where did he drop his sword? It was by his side when Knight fought off the Elrianode monsters and found Rune, who was nowhere to be found.

A hollow feeling rose from his chest. Did Rune understand his intention and escape while Knight fought the Shadow Driller as a distraction? Or did Rune stay behind to fight and get caught as a prisoner?

His counterpart was less fazed by Knight's existence than vice versa, but he didn't seem to have bad intentions if his first response was to talk things out instead of attack. That was a change in pace for Knight after dealing with demons who felt more obliged to slice him in half rather than hold a conversation.

Rune said something about researching the Dark El. It sounded similar to the resolve Knight made with his friends after they pulled him out of the El's influence. Determination mirrored back when Knight looked at his alternative, purpose and responsibility weighing on the shoulders of an eighteen-year-old with battle scars. Those scars looked worse than his, making Knight gain sudden self-conscious over his body. If it wasn't for Bluhen, would he be similar to his other self? They had minute differences, but their mind and body were the same.

If Rune existed, then did the rest of the El Search Party exist as well? Knight tried to imagine meeting Aether or Bluhen's alternatives, but the image of them wearing clothes as meager as Rune wasn't something he was going to forget. Did it matter if they were different? They would still be his friends.

This was something Bringer would have enjoyed discussing because the brawler held a fascination for alternative dimensions and the like. Knight was sure he would explain how people like Rune were possible when they held more free will than any of the shadows they have encountered before. Until he could break his way out and find his friends, he was on his own.

Lifting his head, Knight was greeted by a pale face.

"Aaah!" Knight knocked his head against the wall, covering his head in pain. Hitting his head on a stone wall was a bad idea.

The small figure giggled, their face was well hidden by the hood they wore adorned with cat ears. A child? Not as tiny as Ishtar, they stood up to his shoulder in a one-piece suit and a jacket hoodie zipped up. Thin chains extended from their tailcoat with sharpened ends, matching the magenta-colored gloves they wore. The child's clothes held no wrinkles, the insides of their hood patterned in purple diamonds and they weren't sweating like Knight was. A recent captive?

Knight apologized and rubbed his head. "I didn't know you were in there. Sorry if I bothered you."

Were they always there? They looked so small with the layer of clothes on them. Assuming the silence for shyness, Knight didn't push on the child and offered an encouraging smile. He had to stay strong. The child didn't need to see him in distress or panic that he had no idea where they were. That's what Empire did when they were children because she wanted him to believe in her. He would do the same for the new child.

"You don't happen to know how to get out of here, do you?" Knight asked.

No response, not even nodding or shaking their head for any indication they heard him. They were holding something. The child held up a leather bag that was easily half of their weight, prompting Knight to accept it.

"You want me to open it?" Knight forgot to tell the child that it was his bag. How did they take it without his notice? Was he surprised to see another human being that he had let his guard down?

Knight emptied the bag and laid the contents side by side, gesturing the child to sit next to him. Snow fruits, desert sweet potatoes, and bulky carrots were bred to be sturdy vegetables, but he felt guilty when he saw how much were bruised. Expired tickets and flyers from COBO services came out of the back pockets, colors and lettering faded away and smelled like Sander Jerky. A leather sack held hundreds of millions of gold coins Knight had been saving to upgrade armor and weapons. Spices for food and fragment powder for crafting them into El Tear fragments were organized by color and type.

Initially organized into smaller compartments courtesy to Bringer, who complained about his habits for tossing everything together in the bag, well… Old habits are hard to break and Knight was back to square one. Elixirs, potions, crafting material, accessories, clothes, certificates, scrolls, and stamps cluttered his bag.

The child glared at the growing pile of trash.

"I know it's a lot," Knight was embarrassed. "There's nothing to do here, I guess now is a good time to start organizing."

He was never going to hear the end of this if Aether or Bringer found out that he forgot to keep his stuff clean. With two people, it was still a Herculean task sort out the trash and know what to keep. It was tempting to hold on to everything, but Knight felt a pair of eyes dig into the back of his neck when he suggested keeping the old coins the town alchemists no longer accepted for crafting services (1). Couldn't a guy get a little nostalgic?

"That's the last of it!" Knight smiled when they finished cleaning. "You didn't have to help me, but thanks!"

The child ignored him, turning their head away from the knight. The disappointment was apparent at the mess he was making. Knight laughed nervously when he saw where they were looking. Kept in a flask the color of the wind El, he made out the cursive writing on a label "Blessed Giant Hand Potion" (2).

Next to it laid a greatsword Knight didn't remember owning. Bulkier in appearance, the crossguard was more circular than what he was used to and the hilt had red belts attached. The blade itself was as wide as his head but thinner at the point. When Knight tested the greatsword, he was shocked that it was lighter than it looked. At closer inspection, he recognized the symbols on the hilt and blade to be runes he couldn't understand. Was this Rune's sword? What was it doing here and how did he pick it up without knowing? But still, this was good to have something to defend himself when they make their breakout.

"You think this will work?" Knight asked. _What a dumb question_, he thought, but he missed having someone to talk to despite their conversations being one-sided.

Knight sweated when the child smiled at him full of sharp teeth. They were going to break out with sheer force. That could work.

"I'll take that as a yes." Knight chuckled, "Stay close to me."

He choked on the breath-taking hold the child had, wrapping their arms in a binding hug around the waist. Knight gently tapped on their gloved hands to let go. The child loosened their grip, backing away and giving him room in preparation for their escape.

Feeling his hand over the crystallized wall, Knight snapped his eyes tight, concentrating on the spot with the weakest support. Unbottled elixir in hand, his lungs were on fire like he had inhaled sugar into his nostrils. His hands enlarged and Knight breathed.

One, two, three!

"Hyaaaah!" Knight charged.

* * *

**Notes:**

_Old coins (1) _\- Once upon a time, Elsword had Secret Dungeon coins and separate crafting material for each Secret Dungeon set.

"_Blessed Giant Hand Potion" (2)_ \- An elixir that causes the character hands and weapon to become bigger and have an increase in damage boost.


	4. Revelations

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 8,302

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 04: **_**_Revelations_**

* * *

_Aether Sage_

Her journey with Knight has been a long one, for better or worse. Five years of camping and fighting alongside with a teenager with muscles for brains, who grew up to be a considerate man with more experience in the battlefield and was better about thinking before he spoke. Aether had seen the many faces of her teammate - the good, the bad, and the stupid. So why did it feel like she was talking to a stranger?

What happened to him? 'Knight' slouched in his seat, made casual comments, and lacked tact in his words, eager to point out his observations. It was remarkable in the attention to detail he had and surprised Aether when he asked if her gloves were insulated to withstand magic backfires, but annoying when he started interrogating Crusader about his armor.

"Did everyone change clothes while I was out?" He asked the night before.

Hair as red as his eyes and perhaps showed too much with the unbuttoned jacket. Wasn't he cold? It was summer in the Demon Realm according to Ishtar, but summers continued to be shorter than those in Elrios.

Concern was obvious on Empire's face, "I'm sorry it took us longer to get here. I'm sure Ain can heal those for you."

"I'm fine," the younger Sieghart insisted when she wanted to inspect the injuries. "They're not as bad as they look."

Aether wasn't as convinced but didn't press on. She didn't want to break up a moment between the siblings because the mage was sure she would have liked a moment with her grandfather if they were separated in similar circumstances. 'Knight' must have thought the same because he didn't argue with Empire and let the elder knight dry him off with a towel. Damping his forehead with a hand cloth, the smile on the edge of Empire's lips reminded her of a distant memory of her mother doing the same when she was a young child.

"You look different, Elsword. A little...thinner." Ishtar commented.

"Do I?" He exclaimed, "Fighting demons is stressful!"

The demon sovereign studied the man, scanning the knight with her lips sealed into a straight light. Did she sense something? Aether did not hold the ability to detect El as much as Bluhen and Ishtar, or had access to technology that could as Bringer and Esencia did. It was a useful ability to have and could change the nature of battles on the whim if one took advantage of it.

Ishtar covered her mouth and giggled at his response, "You need to pay more attention to our fights then. You clearly haven't fought me enough times to know what demons are capable of!"

"I might have to do that more often!" 'Knight' agreed.

Aether facepalmed. No, he was definitely Knight. Only an idiot would respond to a challenge in the same manner he did. It was very like him to grin at the face of a fight and see it as a way to build his strength. Demon sovereign or not, beneath the regality was a demon eager to find an excuse for fights and Knight was frequently happy to fulfill that with the occasional spars and with their other teammates.

Daybreaker asked, "Where did you find him?"

"Not too far from here," Aether said. "You're lucky you weren't here yesterday. He looked worse without the bandages."

On his back covered in burns and scratches, 'Knight' was unconscious when they found him, but was responsive to the potions. They found shelter nearby in the form of trees covering them from most of the wind and Crusader brought extra clothes and sleeping bags in case they found their friend. What they didn't expect was the unusual behavior.

When he woke up in a jolt, a fire flared in his eyes before the redhead recognized their faces and stopped struggling, pausing to examine them with caution. What did the demons do to make him react to them as enemies?

The initial confusion met with bewilderment, demands for answers to questions of things she had no answer to. Why did 'Knight' have a sudden interest in what she wore and how she put up her hair? His reaction to Crusader was strange too, the inquiries to how the destroyer worked and what made the guardian of Hamel decide to stick to the original cannon he built. These were questions Bringer would ask, not the knight whose head was more often consumed by battle tactics and swords. The sudden attention 'Knight' held, interested in his teammates as if it was the first time they met. It was uncanny and out of character.

Daybreaker chuckled, "Then it's a good thing he has you and Chung to take care of him."

Aether stole a glance to the knight again, seeing him bobbing his head in agreement to something Bluhen said, awe and amazement when the priest closed his wounds with a flash of green light. It was an advanced form of magic she had read about in books.

"Don't move too much," Bluhen warned. "I healed the worst of the injuries, but your body needs time to recover."

"Sorry for making you worried," 'Knight' couldn't take his eyes off his healing leg, mesmerized by the efficiency. Wiggling his toes, he spotted Rage and said with a sly grin, "Raven, you didn't tell me! You finally realized the power in being shirtless!"

Aether couldn't believe he had the gall to comment on the older male's choice in armor. Well, she had thoughts of asking, but that was rude and inappropriate when what he wore was none of her business! He was going to get a lecture of a lifetime.

Bluhen was amused, "He's right, Mr. Half-Nasod. You don't wear a lot of clothes."

"What?" Rage was taken back. Looking down at his armor, or rather ahem, a lack of it to where his vital organs were, the older male turned coughed with embarrassment. "Don't be absurd."

"Elsword!" Aether hissed, "Don't say weird stuff!"

"Ow, not my ear. Please don't curse me," 'Knight' winced in seeing her hands ready to grab him by the ear in irritation.

Curse him? Aether pulled her hand away. She was skilled, but curses were not in her repertoire. It would take a mage years of experience and special training to perform the most basic form of the sort. Knight must have placed her in high regards to think she was capable of that. It was flattering, yet worrying. She wasn't that kind of person.

It was as if 'Knight' had never left them. For a guy who found bruised and covered in bandages, the man was back on his feet, chatting and commenting on something Apsara said. Discussions about meat and barbeque were overheard when Aether leaned back to catch her breath. He asked Esencia about Remy and Moby and greeted Chevalier when he caught the butler sitting to the side of the conversation with a cookbook out.

"Do you know who attacked you?" Rage asked, "How many were there?"

'Knight' didn't answer right away, opening his palms to reveal runes carved in red. "There are demons that shoot spikes and thorns on their back. Never saw them. There were probably at least eight or nine of them, maybe more."

That explained the puncture wounds on his body. They must be strong if they took their leader by surprise, Aether was alarmed. She never heard of those demons. There might be more lurking in the woods and they were recovering from the fight with the Nephilim Lord. Their survival was because of Bluhen's persistent healing and Empire's quick thinking to come up with the strategic tactics to split the team for one group to distract Nephilim Lord and the other to hit the weak spots.

"How long were we in Demon Realm?" 'Knight' asked.

Bringer wasn't one to mince his words and snorted, "Did you lose your brain cells? It's been six weeks!"

"You know what they say," he sang. "You lose track of track of time when you're having fun~"

What kind of answer was that? The brawler stared, questioning if 'Knight' was all right in the head and Aether would be lying if she said she wasn't too. What could be fun about surviving in the wilderness to avoid being spotted by demons? Although Knight was never good at sneaking around because he would rather take them head-on and bulldoze his way through things.

"That's not nice to say!" Apsara scolded. "Elsword has gone through a lot. Let him rest!"

"No one is stopping him," Bringer shrugged. "It's not my fault if he slows us down."

"It's not a problem if it helps Elsword," Bluhen interjected.

So much for the team meeting, Aether sighed. Her teammates were as lively as ever. This was supposed to be an opportunity for them to regroup and sort out their thoughts to address any questions before making their way back to Elrianode. As soon as 'Knight' came into the picture, their discussion dispersed into utter chaos. She almost couldn't hear her thoughts through the noise her teammates were making. Aether debated on leaving the tent until she caught him chuckling.

"I'm glad you guys get along."

"Who? Us?" Bringer pointed at himself and Bluhen, "You really have lost it."

"Well, you're not what I expected either." 'Knight' grinned.

"What did you say?" Bringer glared and shook him by the shoulders. Despite gaining a couple of inches in recent years, 'Knight' remained shorter than the brawler by several inches, but laughed.

"How about we stop the conversation here?" Daybreaker appeared between the two. A vein popped on the side of the elf's head, "You wouldn't want to put Ain's efforts into vain, would you Elsword?"

'Knight' caught the hint and rubbed the back of his neck. "Of course, not!" He sweated and changed the topic, "Uh, Chung! Was there anyone besides me back there?"

"When we found you? No." Crusader's expression darkened, "Did they hurt you?"

Hands covered in calluses and scar tissue webbed over the burns and cuts 'Knight' sported on his body. He waved his arms in frantic, shaking his head. Side bangs hung from the side of his head and his ponytail flicked over.

He kept his arms closed, legs closed inward that drew Aether's attention to the red markings on his lower stomach and arms. There was no reason for 'Knight' to be wearing that ridiculous outfit after Crusader offered him a change in clothes. A nagging feeling edged in the back of her mind. Did Knight ever learn to read and understand runes? Aether was troubled in that she could not answer the growing number of questions she had about her teammate.

"That's not it," 'Knight' winced at the harshness in the guardian's tone. "They protected me and I couldn't do anything about it."

"What do they look like?" Crusader asked.

"Funny you should ask that," he said with no humor.

This gnawing feeling wouldn't go away. It didn't make sense. Was it that Aether didn't know her teammate as well as she thought she did? Did those years she spent with Knight mean nothing when she couldn't recall if he ever had interest or hobbies beyond sword fighting and battle tactics? Knight's decision to sacrifice himself to the El cemented how much she and the rest of the group underestimated him for what he was capable of. It took yesterday's disappearance for Aether to realize how little she knew of Knight as a person, not the leader of the El Search Party. She couldn't even fathom why he chose to pursue things by himself until Crusader pointed out the obvious.

Aether couldn't breathe.

"There's something I need to tell you," he began.

* * *

_Knight Emperor _

"How big is this place?" Knight gazed to see miles of his environment in a repeated pattern.

Crystals, cave, walls, more crystals, the occasional thorny demons not unlike the one that ambushed him and Rune. Their needle thorns pierced his skin and drained his stamina, but he had learned to dodge them after his legs grew numb for the tenth time. It left a tingling sensation before the effects take place and left him struggling to move.

The cavern layout was a maze looping itself around several times with more demons waiting for them. The Shadow Guards had bulkier shoulders with tall narrow teeth that charged and tried to crush Knight with its muscular arms. Wisp-like demons circled Knight and the child, eager to sap them of their strength and disappearing as quickly as they came. Longer fights and stronger enemies extended the further they drew away from their original point.

"Behind!" Knight shouted.

He pushed the child away from the charging demon, blocking its attack with his sword and using his weight to push it away. Narrowly avoiding getting bulldozed by the demon, Knight dug his sword into the ground to stand his ground in the earthquake and in the aftershock created by the demon. He drew his blade and swiped the Shadow Guard, pulling his sword into the chest and watching it twitch before it went limp in his hold. Jet black ink sprayed over the dusty floor. Knight leaned on his sword for support and breathed.

"You need to stop running off," he gasped for air. "I don't want you to get lost! What if something happens to you?"

Do they have a home? A nagging voice tugged at the edge of Knight's mind. He didn't know anything about the child. Who they were, where they're from, why they were here, or even what their face looked like, but that didn't stop him from being concerned. When he and Empire lost their family, they had each other and the village for support. What if the child had no one and that's why he was alone?

The child covered their mouth with both of their sleeves, cat ears drooping from the top of their hood. Muffled cries came out and their body shook, the child lying on the floor with their legs sprawled out in a position that could not be comfortable. Worried when there was no response, Knight rested his hand on their arm, careful not to scare them. It then hit him how scrawny the child was underneath the layers of clothing. Their arm was thinner than Knight's when he was around their age.

"Here, let me see your hands." Knight let them wrap their hand around him in a tighter than expected grasp. "You're okay."

Was this how Empire Sword felt when she raised him? She used to track him by the trail of mud left at their door to catch Knight covered in scratches and grass-stained knees.

Arms covered in puffy sleeves and magenta gloves flopped over. Knight missed the curled lips for a moment when the gloves came off to reveal pale translucent skin. Pink and sweaty from running around with Knight, but otherwise no scratches for any indication that they have fighting demons.

He raised a brow.

It might be connected to their keen ability to sense demons, Knight theorized. Despite their small size, or maybe that was the advantage, the child was good at not being detected by the demons and snuck up on him more than once. He sometimes lost track of them and found them on the opposite side of the rooms without an explanation.

The child laughed. A soft chuckle laced with amusement and an all-knowing smile that held secrets they refused to proclaim, certainly not to a person they had met hours ago. Knight would be hard-pressed to think he was going to get the full story behind the child in the span of hours he had known them.

"See? Not a single scratch!" Knight patted the child on the head, "Just a little further and I'm sure we'll be out of here in no time!"

The child hissed, shrinking away from his hand and turned their head. Knight retreated his hand with an apologetic look and mumbled a sorry. Right, they didn't like being touched on the head. He hoped that his friends wouldn't mind having an extra mouth to feed until they could find better living arrangements for the child. The battlefield was no place for someone as young as them.

Where was out? They were in a part of the cave where the air became acrid and unbearable for Knight to breathe, gagging when he inhaled dust and debris. It was dead silent for the entity of the trip except for the sound of their breathing and the rustling of their clothes brushed against the damp walls.

Glowing crystals lit the narrow paths Knight chose to follow to avoid the bigger demons, although, with his poor luck, there were more demon encounters than he could count. Numerous and crawling in about every corner of the caves, these demons were persistent and went after them once they spotted the humans until confronted. Most were weak and couldn't stand to a few swipes and kicks, but there were a few craftier ones that required more creative strategies.

To his relief, no humans or signs of their presence were seen on their search for an exit from the heart of demon territory. Rune must have escaped and avoided the same fate as him, Knight smiled. If things didn't work out on his end, he could at least count on his alternative to be safe. Another Elsword could always take the torch and find a way to restore the El.

The child stopped in their tracks, kneeling and lying one hand over the ground and leaning their head into their knee. Chains at the end of their coat curled at the edges, serpentine in movement as they swayed to the side. Knight thought they were chains from their mechanical appearance, but he could have sworn he saw them twitched the number of times he checked to see if the child was behind him.

"What's wrong?" Knight asked.

A harsh screech pierced the damp air, echoes bouncing around enclosed walls and shaking the foundations for each bellow. The ground beneath them shook, gravel loosened and dragged Knight to his knees and head hung low. His tendons protested in the tugging and pulling, impatient and demanding as Knight hugged one arm around a giant crystal in desperation.

An earthquake. There were smaller tremors when he explored the cave, but this one felt bigger than the previous ones. Was this the culprit for the ones he felt yesterday?

Swinging his weight to a pink-colored crystal about a meter away from him, Knight used his remaining strength to pull himself up for a better view before he saw the looming figure emerge from the shadows. What was that thing?

Its body was enclaved with gems and ores. Luminescent stones erupted from its back, forming a crown around its head with blades on its limbs and lower body. Crystals formed vertically down one what appeared to be the mouth with little imagination needed beyond the many rows of teeth. Smoother crystals had curved surfaces embedded into the folds of the monster's rough exoskeleton - on its chest, hips, and extra appendages sticking out from its body for purposes Knight would have preferred to be kept in the dark about.

Unlike the Shadow Drillers and Shadow guards that reached the height of a grown adult, the new monster's shoulders dragged across the sides of the wall. Why should it let limited space hinder its movements through the tunnels? It left claw marks on the ground with its eerily humanoid hands, swinging a giant lantern made of the same material as its body with speed Knight wouldn't have expected from a behemoth.

It vanished into the darkness and phased back into existence, appearing before Knight and swinging a chained sword in its wake. A dull, but blunt blade materialized in its hand. It had a weapon too?

He let out a less than heroic yell, throwing his body to the floor and sliding between the Dark Agate's legs and pulling himself back up with his greatsword. Knight unceremoniously scooped the child up in a dash away from the unworldly monster, their legs hanging over his arms and hugging his neck for support. Nothing he couldn't do, Knight reassured himself. This wouldn't be the first time he fought a demon or a monster several times his size.

"Hang on tight, Knight told the child. "Don't let go."

They clung to him with their arms pressed tight around his neck. Good, they understood the dire situation.

Bringing his sword over his head, Knight took a leap, slashing the heavy blade over the Dark Agate's numerous eyes. He used his legs to kick and roll away from impending attacks, letting gravity pull him to the ground in helping him dodge the spikes and needles shooting from the monster's back. Its hoarse screams echoed the chambers and shook its foundations, forcing Knight to press his weight against the wall for support.

There was little time for him to catch his breath. A bronze sword swung at his direction, narrowly blocked by Knight's greatsword. He struggled to redirect the blade, overpowered by the towering Dark Agate. Red flickered in his vision and the first blood dripped from his neck.

Reaching for his back pocket, Knight chugged half a bottle of Ventus' Wing Elixir. It felt like he had swallowed the ointment Chevalier used to heal burns, a cool but burning sensation in his throat. In exchange, his legs became light and nimble as air. He saw his chance and ran.

The lantern it held in its hand brightened into dusty purple as the Dark Agate opened it, a blinding light rivaling the crystals in the caves. Knight charged, aiming for the wrist with the lantern to knock it off before it went off.

Strong energy levels of Dark El resonated from its body, solidifying and washed over them in waves. It became harder to breathe. Knight felt lightheaded and struggled to concentrate. His legs grew weak and he struggled to stand up. A familiar metallic taste reached his tongue, swallowing his own blood and feeling the heat travel to his head.

The room went pitch black.

Knight blinked and he heard the chains. He strained for signs of the monster, but his senses have gone numb from the battle. The sword in his hand suddenly felt too heavy for him to hold, slipping from his sweaty hands. Dark laughter echoed the caves and light flooded back into the room.

Knight didn't notice until it was too late. Spikes hardened into crystals and pierced into his chest. His vision went red as his body went into shock and became limp.

He promised his friends he wouldn't disappoint them again. They must be searching for him now and wondering where he was. Knight should have waited for everyone to be awake instead of going off by himself with only Bluhen for support. Lady of El, he made Bluhen worry for him again. His friends were going to be hurt because of him. Some friend he was.

Knight waited, lying in unbearable silence and darkness. Demons, monsters, the Dark El, they lost importance in a seemingly infinite amount of time. Darkness surrounded him and cradled him in a state that was half awake, half asleep. Pain returned to his body when he heard a familiar cackle from a distance. Gasps and whispers filled his head until it became too much, overstimulating yet underwhelming all at once.

The knight woke up with panic.

What happened? He had crystals buried into his body, but his skin was now free of shards and blood. His body looked fine, but Knight remembered how much it hurt. He should have died from the impact of having a few dozen shards shot through his body. How was he alive?

"Good morning!" A voice rang.

Knight froze. They didn't sound like Rune or anyone from the El Search Party. This voice was nasal, a low whisper fringed with bemusement and mockery in tone.

Standing before him was a man with long hair that reached down to his ankles, curtained down the back like a billowing cape. A long-sleeved top covered his body with the collar hiding his neck. An unzipped hooded jacket draped loosely over his small shoulders and pants with belts were looped with chains. At the center of his chest held a pink core glowing in unison with eyes the color of the night sky. He sported a single scar slashed down one side of his face and had a set of six drones floating beside him.

"My hero!" Shark teeth peeked behind the man's lips, "That's what you were going to say, right?"

Knight recognized the drones, the sarcastic remarks, the unnerving giggling, and made the connections. There was only one person that spoke in a condescending tone like that.

"Add?" He choked.

Mad Paradox grinned.

* * *

_Rune Master_

Rune was a magnet for the strange and bizarre - lizard men, ghosts, mermaids, and man-sized crab to name a few. Trouble liked to stir where he and his friends ventured, which was to be expected when one led a life of pursuing the El down its unwinding path of destruction. If Glave had the leisure to toy with him and the El Search Party with duplicates of former enemies that no longer existed in their world, then meeting his alternative self and those of his teammates was another weekend to the fire user.

At first impression, Knight's mannerisms and the emblems embroiled were one of a Velder soldier with high honors. Red armor, a cape, and a well-balanced sword. It was a dream Rune once fantasized as a child.

Unlike the shadows from the Temple of Trials in Hamel, Knight was of flesh and blood, unashamed of prioritizing the safety of others before his own. Rune knew that much when the other fought off the demons to help him escape. There was no mistake that they were of the same core.

Did things have to be this way? Would the results differ if Rune held ground and insisted on fighting the demons in Knight's place instead? Rune could muse on the what-ifs, but he would only come to conclusion with hollowed potentials that never came to be.

It was night time. The rare shining of the dimension's sole sun had disappeared when they had lunch earlier. Rune's first night in Demon Realm taught him that the moons rotated in irregular cycles; one of them lasted for half an Elriosian day and the red one took a few hours to cross the night sky.

"What do mean you aren't him?" Crusader demanded to know. His question held the authoritative weight suiting for the future leader of Hamel, assertive and unfaltering. The man in armor looked and sounded like Phantom, but lacked restraint and wore his emotions on his sleeves with pride. Frustration was visible in his features, lines forming between furrowed brows.

Confusion, anger, denial. Painful raw emotions reflected off the people that resembled the people Rune came to see as family. In the minimal time he had the chance to meet and observe this new El Search Party, it hurt to stay silent and pretend he was their leader. He felt like a poor imitation of Knight and it showed from the reactions he garnered when he came out to them. It didn't feel right to leave them in the dark and let them continue traveling with a liar.

"I'm not your Elsword," Rune said with kindness reserved for evaluating villagers. A gentle and mild tone followed by a smile was met with quizzical stares. "I'm here to let you know the truth."

"You're here because we found you," Aether corrected.

"You did," Rune hummed.

"If you aren't Elsword, then who are you?" Rage asked.

"William Phoru, silly!" Rune teased and stuck out his tongue like the mature adult he was. When there were no responses, the rune user sighed, "Doesn't he follow you guys too? And I never said I wasn't Elsword."

It was the minor differences that kept Rune from mistaking them as his El Search Party. Aether left smaller footprints in conversations, small interjections and stealing a peek when she thought he didn't notice. Angkor's absence was an odd detail that left the fire user pondering if the demonic bat existed in Knight's dimension. On the other hand, Rune didn't mind because that meant he could have uninterrupted sleep without waking to the brat digging through his bag for spare El shards.

Rage was not the only party member who looked different from his counterpart, but he carried himself in a sluggish walk - a Nasod arm and a ridiculous proportioned blade dragging through the wet forest grass. He was effectively a walking Nasod-human hybrid tank covered head to toe in armor and blades.

"But you said…" Rage said.

Rune huffed. "Look, I can prove to you I'm not your Elsword."

Saying his own name left a bitter aftertaste for Rune, foreign. Just because they looked different didn't mean they were complete opposites. What did Rune have that Knight didn't? Rune reached for his sword from his back, only to come out empty-handed and bit his lips. Did he lose his sword in the fight against demons?

"What's wrong?" A woman with hair the color of fire looked at Rune with a serious expression, his older sister! Alternative universe or not, seeing Empire's face was a reassurance that the red knight would be a consistency and things were going to be alright. Rune could always count on her to know what to do, or at least he hoped this one did.

Ashamed to admit he lost his sword, Rune backed away from his original plan. Then again, he could always resort to his plan B and do what he did best. Moving his mouth until someone told him to shut up.

"Then what are you?" Crusader asked. "An illusion?"

"He's no illusion," Bringer said. "Too annoying and talks too much to be one."

Rune took one look at the brawler and chuckled, appreciating the bluntness one would expect from Dominator's counterpart. That was one consistency he recognized, but the same couldn't be said for Bringer's clothes. Tight shirt and pants with arms covered in tattoos? Now that he knew it was possible, Rune was going to bother Dominator when he finds the scientist into wearing more black and leather.

"What are you laughing at?" Bringer turned pink.

"I'm glad you're the same, Add." Rune said, "But I never thought I would see you wear black."

Bringer scoffed, "Is that what shocks you?"

"Not the strangest thing," Rune shrugged. "Aisha formed a contract with Angkor-"

"Who the hell is Angkor?"

"A demon god."

"You have a wild imagination, I'll give you that." Aether commented, mumbling to herself. "A contract with a demon god? In what universe? How hard did Elsword hit his head?"

Rune twitched. He heard that! Fall on his head? More than once. Damage his head? Unlikely, but he should probably reassess his personal bias. He didn't count on having a tough crowd to win their hearts, but he sure as hell was gonna try if it meant breaking his head. Maybe not if he valued not getting stabbed by Ultimate. Or Richter. Or both.

"Aisha would never do that." Crusader agreed with the mage, but paused. "What about me?"

"You became a marksman and infiltrate enemies before they can find you," Rune was giddy in getting Crusader's attention. "Raven's arm looks different, Ara wears more black, and Ain doesn't heal."

"I wear too much white?" Apsara looked at her clothes.

"You told me the last one before," Crusader sighed. "What about you?" Concern painted in sky blue eyes, a million of thoughts racing in his head in an inquiry that quickly turned into a series of tall tales he wasn't ready to accept.

"You see, I'm very different." Rune smirked, "I can shoot fire."

It was satisfying to watch the shock on everyone's faces. He didn't remember seeing Knight using runes or fire magic when they fought together. This was going to be easy! This had to work, otherwise, he was going to have to get creative and start splitting hairs.

"Uh, huh." Aether failed to be impressed by the claim. "And I can control time and space."

Ignoring the skepticism, sparks emitted from his palms. Small fireballs danced at his fingertips, casting shadows stretching across his face.

"See?" Rune grinned. "Pretty cool, right?"

"You've been doing that since Ruben," Bluhen cocked his head to the side. "Was there supposed to be more?"

For real? Poster boy had access to fire abilities too? Then why didn't Knight take advantage of that when they were fighting? Rune extinguished the flames and hung his head, sighing in exasperation. That was the most obvious clue, so now what?

Rune didn't hear the footsteps, a hand rested on his shoulder. Lifting his head up, he was greeted by a matching pair of crimson eyes gazing back. There was a visible determination not unlike Flame's, but stern and unhesitant, holding a scabbard in hand. A black and sleek scabbard engraved with the title Knight Emperor.

So that's what their leader called himself. Fitting name for a person with an equally impressionable sword that was missing from its case.

"I'm sorry we couldn't save your sword. This was all we could find," Empire apologized. "I'm glad Aisha and Chung found you."

Tongue-tied, Rune gave a solemn nod. From Empire's perspective, her brother disappeared and then showed up with off-putting claims, ignorant of Knight's true fate. He could argue with Aether and Rage all day on who he was, but things were different with Empire. She looked too much like Flame for him to find the heart to correct her.

"Thank you," Rune finally found his voice and accepted the scabbard.

Well-polished and clean, it was maintained with care. Strips of leather wrapped around the edges into a scrap for the owner to wear around the belt outside of battle. It didn't feel right to possess something belonging to a man he had talked to for ten minutes at best. Is this what Knight would have wanted?

"Why are you telling us this?" Rage asked.

"Because I'm going to leave," Rune turned to face his back to the side, away from the others. "I need to find my friends."

He was going to make a plan and pray that the other was somewhere in Demon Realm. Rune wanted to believe his counterpart would be as tenacious and stubborn on dying as he was.

"Great, just what we need." Aether rolled her eyes, "Two Elswords!"

"But we _are_ your friends!" Crusader protested.

"Can your Elsword do this?" Rune stepped outside the tent. Flames exhausted from his oily palms. Red flares engulfed the oxygen in the air, smoke-infused with a sharp crisp scent of the forest. Fire burst into the sky in the form of a phoenix greeted by the stars.

"What are you doing?" Aether saw the fire shoot past her vision and hissed, "You're going to give away our location to the demons!"

"I think the red brat might be right." Bringer snarled at Bluhen, "Check his El Resonance. What do you see?"

Bluhen frowned, "It's the same, but his energy is different today. His magic levels are higher."

"What should we do?" Cavalier asked.

"The enemy might find us if we don't leave now," Daybreaker said. "Let's move!"

Before he had a say in the matter, a pair of strong arms (one human, one Nasod) lifted Rune off the ground. His legs dangled in the air as Rage threw him over the shoulders, upper body behind and lower body hanging loose on the other side.

"Hey!" Rune pounded his fists on the older male's shoulders. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

"We're leaving," Rage said. "You're going to have to stay with us longer and tell us more about the other Elsword."

Rune did not appreciate being manhandled. Plan B in convincing this El Search Party that he and Knight were different people was successful, but like the numerous plans he came up with, he failed to consider the next step once he reached his goal. Where were Blade and Ultimate when he was stuck in a rut?

* * *

_Richter _

He looked at the starry heavens, reaching for the spot where he saw the burst of flames minutes ago, unmistakably Rune's Phoenix Talon. Richter recognized the wing structures in the display of fire and sheer power.

On the day he earned his title as Richter, he also made a promise to himself in protecting Rune and the El Search Party for the things they have done for the priest. The time they invested into him despite the inconveniences when the Dark El attempted to seize his very being. For those reasons, he could not ignore when Rune was taken by demons. As foolish as humans were, they taught him the lesson that it was that ambitious trait that made humans survive longer than expected.

Humans have a phrase about having holes in their chest after suffering a loss, which Richter was quick to dismiss when Elsword first explained the concept. What humans failed to tell him was how much it aches when Rune was gone. Not even a month has passed since Rune was retrieved from the El and the redhead vanished.

Their team didn't designate leaders, but Rune was the heart in their group of friends. His encouraging words and willingness to open his heart pulled them together; he was an optimist that gave people second chances even to those that didn't deserve it. Numerous of their friends had the brains and intellect to come up with plans, but Rune held a moral compass that was hard to come by.

Richter felt a spark. Rune was alive, his El resonance electrified the air as soon the sky was lit with fire. Anxiety lingered as the celestial ran through the forest, ignoring the prickling sensation and his skin turning hot in overstimulation to the presence of Dark El and demons surrounding them.

"Is he still there?" Anemos kept her voice low, not wanting to disturb the forest's inhabitants. It was admirable the lengths humans and elves sometimes underwent for the sake of others. He appreciated her for not feeling the need to fill the moment of silence with pointless chatter as some humans did.

"He's moving," Richter said; he felt Rune's El resonance drifting in and out of his range.

"Then we move too," Flame caught up with him and Anemos, hand over her claymore and legs closed together.

They were a group of eleven people, demons and Nasods or half-Nasods included. Richter was tired of counting, holding irrational hope that he had missed a number each time. Ms. Dark Mage and Mr. Ancient were caught up in a debate Richter could care less about.

"Extracting this is more efficient!" Dominator argued.

"What are you, stupid?" Oz retorted. "That's a waste of resources when you can use a substitute!"

Devi was effective in dissipating their banter in a single sentence and a smile that made the two shudder. Richter did not envy whoever faced the wrath of the woman hailed from a kingdom now swarming with demons.

"Things will be smoother if we were quieter," Phantom remarked.

"With our group?" Abysser snickered. "That's not happening."

"Maybe if half of us didn't have such huge egos," Timoria was bemused by the adults holding useless banter.

"If things go wrong, remember the setup we discussed." Blade reminded them. "Get into your positions and wait for my signal."

A former enemy, Mr. Half-Nasod was once the result of crude experiments conducted by Nasods. Years of observing the mercenary grow to become a reliable and irreplaceable team member left a bitter aftertaste for Richter. He didn't hate Blade, but being next to the mercenary made his core seize in ways that irked the priest. The half-Nasod was demanding, throwing orders like Rune was no longer there.

Despite initial aggression and the visible conflict Blade had with his Nasod arm up until recently, Rune looked up to the older male. He pestered the mercenary, joked, and asked questions on the trivial things humans worried about ("Is it gay to want to kiss your best friend? Asking for a friend."). If the mercenary's expressions were to speak for themselves, Mr. Half-Nasod was uncomfortable answering those types of questions, urging Rune to ask his sister instead. Although Rune was a magic user, he continued to home his sword and went to Blade to enhance his skills and knowledge in the way of the sword. This remained true when his sister joined their growing party.

That familiar spark again. Rune, he was nearby. From below?

His eyes fell to where his feet were, something shimmering gleamed in the undergrowth. Richter felt the power of an El Shard coming through. He lowered himself to brush the leaves off, blinking when he felt for its form.

The grip and blade were infused with crimson material similar to Rune's. A blue stone glowed where the cross guard met with the blade, an El Shard fragment. It was lighter than it looked and maintained balance when he tested it with one hand in checking for abnormalities. The owner took care of the sword and it showed.

"My scans detected Elsword," Ultimate announced. "He is ahead."

Richter hoped that it was the correct one. Things would be unfortunate if their target turned out to be Rune's counterpart, but would it matter? They would still be Elsword, kind-hearted and naive with the strong belief that everyone could get along. It was a childish belief, but Richter had witnessed the Rune Master achieve the impossible more than once.

But would the other Elsword recognize him? What if Richter never existed in the other Elsword's universe? There would be nothing for Rune's counterpart to remember if Ishmael found another solution in restoring the El. Was that something Richter could live with?

"We're almost there," An arm reached out, a firm hand resting over Richter's. Flame smiled, "He's waiting for us."

Claymore out, Ms. Fire walked in stride with her legs spread out and a fierce grin directed at Richter. Wild braids combed past her back and the fire knight had sparks dancing in her palms. It was easy to understand why Rune looked up to her. She held confidence and purpose in her words, unchallenged and unapologetic in her actions. Her words shook Richter from his trance.

"He has caused trouble," Richter said.

"Yes," she agreed. "That's why we're here to rescue him again."

A rare smile appeared on Richter's features, "He won't appreciate hearing that."

"I know," Flame grinned.

Through cupped hands, Blade let out a soft caw, crowing into his mic piece. That was the signal. It started out as a joke when they were investigating the fires in Velder, but the idea stuck.

Richter took the lead, summoning blades that materialized in his hands. His feet brushed past the grass and leafy terrain, no longer concern on making his presence known. Rune was here, minutes within their reach. He was going to repair what he did wrong. The priest refused to make the same mistake and lose sight of his friend, not after the El Search Party went through hell in the Hall of El.

He sensed them. Rune wasn't alone. There were others, several of them at least. Their El resonance was luminous in his third vision, akin to fireflies in the summers he remembered in Velder. Each of them had a unique wavelength, a rainbow palette near identical to the people Richter had traveled with.

Humans. An elf, a Nasod, a cyborg, two demons, and a replica, Richter noted with disdain. There were several of them. Their faces were mirrors of his friends, impersonations that looked like the El Search Party, but the disparities were ludicrous, flimsy caricatures of themselves. Mr. Ancient's claim was correct. He had found their counterparts. Richter strained his eyes for red hair.

"I'm behind," a female voice spoke to him through his communicator. "Don't attack."

Footsteps followed closely from behind. Leaping through the forest on high heels, Anemos landed beside him. Mr. Guardian and Ms. Dark Mage were with her. The demon that followed Oz seemed right at home, flicking his tails and snickered to the dark mage for reasons Richter failed to see.

"Creepy, isn't it?" Oz saw the small group. "I don't see Elsword yet."

"There's more of them," Dominator said. "They're being careful if they're moving in smaller groups like us."

That meant they had people in their group doing the planning too, Richter thought. He wouldn't expect less from their counterparts. This was where Rune has been hiding? He glanced at the gray-haired man swinging a pendulum similar to his. It appeared that the Ain of this world chose a different path. Richter could not sense Ishmael's will in him. Seeing the fear in his own face made the priest frown. Why was he scared?

"Who's there?" The replica turned his head to where Richter and the others were hiding, "Show yourselves!"

"He's demanding like you," Dominator snorted.

Richter leered at the scientist. His counterpart wasn't a fool then if they sensed their presence. The priest pulled himself away from his hiding spot to get a better look at his other self, but a pair of legs dashed past him before Richter would speak up.

"You have a keen eye," Anemos commended his other self. "We have a friend that can do that too."

"We?" The other Ain blinked, "Why are you here?"

"We're looking for a friend of ours," Phantom said. "He's about this tall, red hair, yells like an idiot."

His counterpart stopped smiling, lips curled at the end, but conflict was visible in their eyes in their struggle to articulate. Richter understood the feeling. They were overwhelmed, speechless in the sudden appearance of people who looked and sounded like their friends. He almost pitied himself if not for the fact that they provided no answers.

"We're looking for a red brat too," a man in a black coat interjected. Mr. Ancient? His physique was a diversion from Dominator's, lean but muscular with the face of a delinquent. "It's been two days since he left."

"You didn't answer his question," Dominator studied his counterpart before gazing at the rest of the opposing El Search Party. "There are supposed to be more of you. Where's Nasod arm?"

"I don't have to answer to you," Mr. Ancient in black scowled.

"That's too bad," Dominator drawled. "Because I thought you would be more cooperative. I guess a muscle head like you wouldn't be interested."

"Fuck off!" The brawler growled.

The scientist smirked, "Do you speak to your mother with a mouth like that? No matter, I have ways of making people like you talk."

"I'm getting a headache listening to these two talk," a woman that looked like Ms. Dark Mage muttered to a butler dressed in shades of blues.

"Where did you get that?"

Richter looked to see where his counterpart was pointing at. It was the greatsword he found on the ground earlier.

"I found it," Richter said.

"Ain?" A male voice came from a distance, "Hey, Ain! Guys!"

Both Ains turned to see Rune flopped over the back of a man with a Nasod arm. The redhead pulled his upper body up to wave at Richter, "You looked for me?"

"That's Ain?" The other Ms. Fox exclaimed with bewilderment.

"Of course we looked for you!" Oz shouted, "Don't think we were going to leave without you!"

Rune was safe, Richter breathed. But what was the other Mr. Half-Nasod doing with the fire user and what kind of clothes was he wearing? It was the type of attire Rune once tried to convince Blade that it was what adventurers wore for casual wear.

"Why do you have his sword?" His counterpart asked. "What happened to him?"

Richter looked to the other with no answer. That sword belonged to the other Elsword? He empathized with his alternative in losing someone they were close to, but he remained silent. They had Rune and he wanted him back. There was no point in talking if nothing he said would give the other El Search Party a lead to where their Elsword could be.

"Give him back," Phantom looked to Blade's counterpart for compliance. "I don't know what's going on, but you need to let Elsword go."

The other Mr. Half-Nasod turned the other way and ran off with Rune over his back. Rune opened his mouth, but Richter could not discern what the fire user was yelling through the wind. They were heading deeper into the forest.

The brief moment of peace between the two parties disputed into utter chaos. Screams of panic and accusations flew back and forth between the groups like bullets, lasers and magical blasts exchanged to one another.

Light flashed around Richter, long blades emerged from the power of the goddess to lend him her powers. His blades ran their course, glowing in a hot flash of anger. Wind currents followed the priest, leaving cracks in his footsteps in his pursuit for Mr. Half-Nasod's look alike.

A white spear with an orange orb enclaved at the center appeared in Richter's peripheral vision. Its owner performed a deadly dance, a transparent veil wrapped around a wide-eyed woman who looked like Devi. The demons' and Ms. Nasod Queen's other selves were also here. He could make out their outlines as they shouted at Devi's look-alike for instructions.

Richter glared at the shadowed figures. He was surrounded.


	5. Smokes and Mirrors

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 7,006

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 05: **_**_Smokes and Mirrors_**

_Knight Emperor _

He was floating, fading in and out of consciousness in the depths of the mind. When Knight's mind surfaced, the pain returned to his sense, tiny needles streaming pass his pores. Red flashed past his vision and his eyes snapped open. His hands reached for his chest, feeling for a heart pulsing through. Heavy audible breaths and the smell of moss greeted the knight.

Cave, Knight grasped to make form a cohesive thought. He was trapped in a demon-infested cavern. Demons stronger than the ones he and his friends have fought in the past. The biggest one had geodes growing from is back and its insides - no, the demon was a crystal monster. It could have broken his spine into two if not for…

The red-haired knight held his gaze at the man in front of him. A scar in the form of a pink jagged line slashing downward, lanky limbs dangling to the sides, and translucent skin thin as parchment paper. Who was he? Why did he share the same face as Bringer, who was nowhere as thin or gangly as this stranger?

"Add?" He backed into a wall.

"Elsword!" Mad Paradox exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Elsword!"

"Why do you keep saying my name?" Knight was frustrated.

"Elsword!" He feigned disapproval. "Is that how you greet an old friend? This is the part where you thank me."

"I don't know you."

"Or do you~?" Paradox sang.

Knight kept his lips sealed into a straight line. He knew Bringer, but he never met this man. This could be a trap. It was an attempt to get him to talk, that had to be the case. There was no hiding it that he was on his own and was vulnerable once cornered by multiple enemies. As the leader of the El Search Party, Knight was the perfect target because he had access to information about the El that any of their enemies would use to their advantage. If outsiders knew why they were in Demon Realm, that would put his friends in danger, a risk Knight wasn't willing to test. Not after the effort they poured into rescuing him. He wasn't going to put their efforts in vain without repaying them.

What was Paradox? He didn't look like a Henir cultist with the purple and magenta color scheme in contrast to the black and electric blue monsters in Elrianode. Unlike Henir cultists, the time traveler acted by himself when the cultists always appeared in bigger groups with monsters in their wake. The black sclera reminded him of the demons in Lanox, but that couldn't be it. His movements were too fluid to belong to those of a demon.

Ishtar was never going to let him off the hook if he was to ever suggest that demons lacked grace.

"Why the bleak face?" Paradox chuckled, "You can talk to me. I don't bite."

"Tell me what happened," Knight wasn't as convinced.

"Someone got lost and the cute monster said goodnight."

"I fought demons and a bigger one," Knight said with curtness.

"Avoidable battles if you weren't running and screaming so much," Paradox rolled his eyes, iridescence and mechanical in eerie uncanniness. "Why are Elbrats so loud?"

Jagged ridges graveled to the ceiling and the walls enclosing the cavern, paving uneven paths the Dark Agate left behind. Limestone lined the walls and peeled away. Crystals from the ground up and black ink blots painted the ground until coming to an abrupt halt midway to where Knight sat. His forearm was cracked with dry blood and scar tissue forming where it hurt the most, wincing when he stretched and pulled a tendon.

Crushed boulders trampled over, stalagmites and stalactites shattered into pieces and the ground weakened from the fight Knight had with the crystal monster. Pebbles crumbled under his boots into fine dust. The cave echoed with the sound of water dripping from the ceiling, sharp hisses from an unknown source unseen by the knight. He squinted for lines of purple amethysts, his gaze wandering to the ledge leading to the abyss below.

"Where's the monster?"

"Gone." Paradox teased, "Do you miss it already?"

Again with the all-knowing tone and shit-eating grin like they knew each other. This man was crazy acting like they were somehow connected. Calling himself an old friend and now commenting on his fighting style. How would Paradox know about why he preferred taking on his opponents first on first over sneaking around and avoiding fights? He was a knight, not an assassin.

Although… Paradox wasn't wrong on pointing out the obvious. Hours of getting ambushed by demons placed a toll on Knight's energy and resources. By the time he faced the Dark Agate, he was low on stamina and lacked the initial vitality he had at the beginning of his trek through the cave. Knight came in blind with the belief that it would fight like the smaller monsters, a beginner's mistake that deserved much chastise. Perhaps he let his arrogance get into his head because a child was with him and Knight wanted to prove that everything would be okay.

Anger flickered in his core. How stupid could he be? It was no better than cutting corners in training for the sake of flashiness. There was a flash of pain replaced by numbness and a period of timeless nothingness, but he was…

"Alive," Knight held up his hands. Fingerless gloves steeped in iron red, a reeking metallic smell mixed with his sweat. Whispering to himself, "I'm alive. How?"

"Can't let the main character die in a side story, now, can I?" Paradox cackled.

Knight realized. He was rescued by Paradox, not unlike the many times Bringer watched his back in Elrianode. An explanation he pieced together with the minimal informal he had, but it failed to answer more persisting questions. The time traveler spoke in rhetoric suggesting the impossible, an observer from another realm.

Perplexed, Knight naturally wanted to ask more but stopped himself in realizing that would only result in more cryptic answers from the noodle spaceman. His answers were as vague as to how or why the El Search Party kept fighting brainwashed enemies for the past few years. One would think half of Elrios was brainwashed from the number of unavoidable fights they had.

"And the child?" Knight asked. Surely there was something of them left if he was alive. When Paradox didn't answer, he yanked on the time traveler's collar, forcing the other to lean down at his eye level. "What happened to them?"

Still smiling, Paradox laughed. "What child?"

"There was a child," Knight explained. "They were with me, they-"

"Were they, now?" Paradox snickered. "A dangerous place for children to wander into such as yourself."

"I'm eighteen years old," he growled.

"Hardly a difference."

"They were defenseless and I was the only one who could fight."

He told them to stay close to him, hang on and let him take care of the Dark Agate. Leaving a child alone would have made them into an easy target for the crystal monster to pray upon. What option did Knight have without risking another life? In the end, he wasn't strong and he had no one else to rely on. Not even someone who was as elusive as the child could avoid those shards when the monster let the lights out.

The child pulled no strains with their weight when Knight lifted them up, less than what one would expect for a child of their height and age. Up close, a deep scar marked against one side of their cheek, a zigzag and a pair of asymmetrical eyes. Black sclera identical to ones looking into Knight's field of vision with a devious expression.

Horror breached Knight's thoughts. No. No, no, no, no, no, please no. He knew fate had a crude sense of humor and loved irony, but he didn't want to deal with this again. Dread prickled his tanned skin when a pair of black gloves held his chin up. The undersides were hot pink, almost red.

"You're the child?" Knight choked.

Paradox clapped his hands and beamed, "Congratulations! You're faster than the last Elsword."

"I've been protecting an old man?"

"Twenty-one, brat." Paradox laughed, "Did you enjoy my gift?"

The greatsword in Knight's hand suddenly felt heavier in his hands, the redhead aware that its original owner was not present. This belonged to Rune, his counterpart. They were the same, yet there were distinctive differences that made them separate people. If Rune was here, the rest of the El Search Party couldn't be far behind.

The blade held a shine and a thicker build than what Knight was used to, a type of metal favored by battle mages to amplify their magic. Sparks flew from the blade when struck against boulders. His counterpart chose to compensate for their shared weakness of magic, why didn't Knight think of that?

"This isn't mine," Knight said.

"A little mix-up," Paradox was less concerned about the details. "That fight you had with the demon took longer than I anticipated. You're not ready for Rosso."

"Ready for who?" Knight demanded to know.

Sharp pain seized his chest, his insides twisted. Knight hugged his stomach, reminding himself to keep his breaths even, fanning himself with his hand and leaning forward with his sword for support. He wiped his forehead and hugged his sides. Colors blurred in a mess of tears as Knight applied pressure to his forehead. He may be alive, but experience told him that he wasn't out of the woods yet. The pain dulled into discomfort, persisting in his abdomens and chest. Knight lowered his head and wanted to throw up whatever Rage put into the dried meat.

Knight cursed.

"Oops, looks like the Time Sickness finally kicked in." Paradox said with an unapologetic giggle.

Time what? Knight didn't like the sound of that and turned pale, "What are you doing playing around with me? What did you do to me?"

"You still don't get it?" Paradox feigned annoyance, lips curled up and showing his teeth. "Ah, right. It's your first time. I'll have to fix that."

Lights went out.

Crystals glistened in the blackened space, magenta flashed in the form of Paradox's suit and artificial eye. The sound of gravel and something cracking under pressure snapped Knight's attention to the source, waving his sword in the uncomfortable darkness.

When the lights returned, the older man was no longer where he once was. Dark laughter flooded his eardrums in unison with unnerving cackling. Paradox emerged from the ceiling, head sticking out from a ripple in the dimension, torn into pieces for the time traveler to tinker with as he pleased. Below him was the Dark Agate holding the ominous lantern in its hand.

Paradox had a fluid gait, crossing his legs one over the other with the skill of an acrobat walking over a wire with fear absent in his stance. He lacked the guarded tension hallmark of most adventurers in a cave home to demons and monsters. Hands over the wall, manipulating Dynamo with the same familiarity Knight had with his sword.

Crystal shards rained down on Paradox, thin needles penetrating him with the older male barking an ugly sob and guffawing in pain. His body shuddered and his limbs went limp without struggling as the Dark Agate scooped him up, claws curled at Paradox's chest. A loud crunch broke from the darkness.

Knight looked away. He wanted to hurl. It crushed Paradox like grains of sand, no time for the older man to even cry or choke before his life was stolen. The redhead drew his sword with unsteady hands, dread and tranquil anger sending sparks at his fingertips. Knight's eyes fluttered to discover that the traveler's body missing.

A dimension ripped open from above, sliding to where the monster was for gravitational spheres to downpour with intensity shaking the ground from the bottom up. Rough crystal formed at the edges of the portal and a figure dressed in black appeared, phase shifting next to Knight.

His left shoulder blade shattered into diamond shards; Paradox's body lost visibility in shape and electricity emitted from his core. There were no holes in his clothes or blood to suggest he had been injured in the fight. It was as if Paradox was never wounded.

Paradox ripped open a portal with his hands, clawing at the edges with his hands. Pulling his foot into the entrance, he stretched and widened the portal with his arms and legs until it was the size of the Dark Agate. He reappeared from behind, generating energy and shoving the monster into the abyss. The older male moved the portal to the ground level as the opening shrunk in size. An arm was torn off from sharp edges applying pressure to the Dark Agate's arm reaching out for them. Paradox kicked the still twitching arm and stomped until it ceased its movements and fell silent.

Knight gawked at the other man dusting blood off his sleeves, "Your spine. It snapped. The monster, you-"

"Awww, look at you." Paradox cooed, "Seal of Time reduced you to an infant."

"What was that?"

He grinned, "can't die if you undo time on yourself."

That's why they were alive after fighting that monster. Paradox unwinded their injuries and restored their lives. With powers like that, Paradox had time and luxury to learn the enemies' tactics and won otherwise impossible battles. But why would he have an interest in keeping Knight alive? The time traveler cheated death more than once, but how much would that unhinge a person?

"What do you want from me?" Knight asked weakly.

"What kind of popcorn do you like?" Paradox didn't answer, as usual.

Knight blinked, "I'm sorry, what?"

* * *

_Apsara _

Sky blue eyes glaring with intensity directed only to her. Azure locks flowed over their flawless features, too clear and smooth to belong to a person whose posture was accustomed to the battlefield. Light flashed under the melancholic moon. Her opponent summoned a wide array of spears, clashing against hers and sending white sparks flying like the fireworks she lit up at the summer festivals as a child.

The man standing before the spear user held a stand hand over his weapons, pointed spears emerging from his palms with ease. White gloves gripped over the pair of weapons, the color of glass reminiscent to the stairs and platforms in the Hall of El. Iridescent and emitting a blinding light, forcing Apsara to shield her eyes.

Was this man really Ain? He wielded a white gold pendulum with gold trims at the edges. His white attire and demeanor reminded her more of a mercenary than the priest Bluhen was, charging towards Apsara with no mercy at his disposal. There was no hesitance, going for her blind spots if she failed to cover her bases and stand guard. Projecting one spear after another, it was a macabre dance of blades, furrowed brows deepening in time to his precise footwork. Right foot up, left foot back, holding his stance and unflinching when Apsara pulled back and forced her weight against his.

"Don't let him heal!" Chevalier shouted.

A lotus flower formed as Apsara spun her spear in a figure eight, launching the ball of energy and shoving her opponent back. Knocking Richter off his feet, Apsara smacked the priest with the end of her spear. She leaped into the air, performing a somersault midair and diving in to slam her weight against the man. Air escaped from Richter, choking on his saliva and struggled to break free. Apsara missed him by a mere hair and charged with her spear in hand, audible gasps rippled through the cold air as she attacked.

Richter gritted his teeth, anger flickered in his features. A forced serene facade masked over a fury reaching through his attacks. He fought a losing battle against four, but he persisted. Static surged from his palms and wind picked surrounded the man, drawing more blades and launching himself several meters into the air, turning his head to face his other opponents.

A tall Nasod dressed in white with a black helmet swung a chained sword, Oberon phase shifting and crossing blade with a heavy clang. Two drones floated midair, engaged in a transversal angle. Lasers blasted from the drones, spinning and converging energy aiming for their target.

"Tell us what happened to Elsword," Esencia talked over the clashing blades.

Richter breathed heavy breathes, shoving Oberson's head down and using his knee to hit the lower jaw, pushing the Nasod servant away. He fired deliberate projectiles to Esencia's drones, hitting and shifting them at the base.

Apsara squeaked and ducked from a laser pointing to where her head once was. That was a close call! The spear user hung her head and sweated bullets. She was glad Esencia was on their side, but having the Nasod Queen's attacks directed back was a terrifying thought for the young woman. Her hair remained frizzled from proximity to the energy beam, sinking her body and crawling over to Esencia to avoid another laser.

"Then you understand that he isn't yours," Richter spoke. A deep harsh echo carried in his voice, "Are you aware of the consequences for your actions?"

"He's not with us," Chevalier said. He and Ishtar circled the priest, keeping distance in a guarded stance, gun blades and soul spears ready for sudden movement.

"I wasn't addressing you, Blue Demon." Richter glared at the butler.

"How dare you talk to Ciel like that!" Ishtar pointed her soul spear at the priest, "What are you doing with a weapon you have no right to claim?"

Her wings wavered, a cyan blue membrane stretched over thin bone structures and beating the air with anger in the tiny demon's features. Ishtar whined when her butler blocked her from lunging at Richter, fuming and crossing her arms.

"I apologize for that," Chevalier said with equal iciness as the priest. "You must understand how important Elsword is to us. We just want to know how you came into possession of his sword."

"Is that what this is about?" Richter pulled out the greatsword from his belt and sighed, "Humans and demons alike show unnecessary concern over materialistic things that hold no value. This weapon will not bring him back."

Apsara protested, "Please, it's important to him! If you're Ain, why are you fighting us? Aren't you friends with Elsword? I'm sure he wouldn't want this!"

Recognition sparked from Richter's expression, anger? Fear? Emotions alternating with one another before he settled for indifference and narrowed his eyes, "Ms. Fox in White. No, _Devi. _"

Bluhen had abilities that garnered wariness from Eun's end, but he was a patient man and did not judge when she asked him to explain something in simpler terms. He had a child-like wonder in everything that made him gained stares when they visited towns. After Bluhen nearly ran the team bank dry because he discovered cinnamon rolls, Apsara decided he was harmless. Anyone who had a sweet tooth couldn't be all that bad, could they?

This stranger who responded to the name Ain… He stole Knight's sword, gave them crude nicknames, and treated them like they were the enemy. Why did Richter call her by that name? Apsara wanted to believe there was a reason behind Richter's behavior, but little emotions were revealed when Esencia asked what happened to Knight.

_Be careful, Ara. _A feminine voice whispered in the back of Apsara's mind, _I sense something about him. _

_What is it, Eun? _Apsara asked, _The Dark El? _

_No. _The fox spirit paused, _High levels of energy resonates from him, more than Ain. Let me take over._

Apsara shook her head, _He must know something about Elsword if he has his greatsword. _

Knight had to be nearby if his sword was found by someone else. There were others with Richter, their shapes unrecognizable in the shadows and concealed by the night. How many, she could not tell, but it was an impressive size, at least a dozen of them. Could they be humans the dark elves mentioned this morning?

Apsara quivered her lips, hard pressed in finding the positives in their situation. It felt like they were interrogating Richter instead of talking to an ally. Not unlike the shadows they have fought in Hamel and the Hall of El, Richter was averse to answering their questions, disdain was apparent in his brief and curt answers. But Richter was different. He held a will of his own and reason. Despite not drawing his weapons back, the priest had them lowered and was listening, even if reluctantly.

"If you know anything about what happened to Elsword, tell us!" Apsara pleaded, "We haven't seen him in two days and we don't know where he went!"

"I don't know any of you." Richter said with an even tone, "And I've never met this Elsword of yours. Elsword is with you-"

"Which one?" Esencia asked.

Ishtar mused. "Having more than one Elsword makes this conversation confusing."

"Where did you find the sword?" Chevalier asked, "If I may ask."

"In the forest," Richter replied. "You have my duplicate with you, but he failed to find it before me? Are you done interrogating?"

No use, Apsara lowered her head in defeat. If only Knight was here…maybe Richter would have listened. The redhead was good with words and preventing situations from escalating like Empire, but neither of the Sieghart siblings was present. What would Empire do if she was here? Would she smile and reassure Richter or put her foot down and lay down what needed to be accomplished to make the discussion work? Empire made talking to people look easier than it actually was!

"Ain had a lot on his mind," Apsara clutched her hands around her spear. "I'm sure you do too!"

"Your Elsword is not with me," Richter tensed. "Where is Mr. Half-Nasod with no shirt?"

Rage Hearts? The mercenary escaped with the rest of the El Search Party because of the sudden appearance of their opposites. Were they really mirrors of themselves? From the few members Apsara had met, they were strong-willed, unwavering on their opinions and determined to retrieve Rune. It was true that Rune wasn't their leader, but he was still Elsword, so maybe he could be helpful in helping them find Knight.

If Knight wasn't with Richter, where could he be? Was he lost in the forest somewhere surrounded by demons, waiting for them to find him? Empire tried contacting him through their communicators for hours, but no one picked up. Were they too late that something happened to him? Or was he taken somewhere far and away from where the connection between them has weakened?

Knight had to be alive, she mumbled a prayer and pursed her lips. If something happened to him, Empire would be left with no family, just like her. Apsara couldn't bare to see the knight captain suffer, not after everything they have gone together.

Apsara breathed, "You'll have to catch up with our friends if you want to see Raven."

"Noted." Richter vanished from the crowd encircling him, appearing behind Apsara, "Then I understand that I must take on those that defy the goddess."

With projectile weapons materializing in his palms, energy surged as Richter leaped. Six spears encircled the priest, casting them to where her spine was. Apsara turned and raised her spear, but Chevalier beat her to it, shielding the attack with a cross-shaped gunblade larger than the butler. Ishtar launched herself into the air, soul spears forming at her fingertips to counteract Richter's. The priest backed away to the sight of Esencia and Oberson joining the demon sovereign in the fight, back to back with the Nasod Queen giving orders to her servants.

"What is he doing?" Ishtar growled.

"I think we angered him," Chevalier ushered her to stand behind his gunblade. "Get ready for cover!"

Blue lines shone from above, a paradigm grid forming and crossing over in loops and lines into an array of magic circles. Raised in the air was Richter looking down and weapons materializing for the priest to grasp in his hands, more floating beside him. Spears and projective weapons showered down as the magic circles glowed.

Apsara twirled in a half-step, using her spear to leap away from the countless weapons crashing down her path, using her weight to pull herself from harm's way. She nearly tripped over falling debris, scrambling to pull herself up and dodge a spear aiming for her foot. The earth shook in vibration to the intensity of their battle. Tucking her spear under her arms, Apsara curled her body into a tight ball and rolls away. She overheard Esencia throwing commands to Oberon and Ophelia to help Ishtar and Chevalier.

Her feet barely touching the ground, Esencia hovered with a raised arm. "Heaven's Fist!"

The Nasod queen grabbed her roughly by the shirt, lifting and pushing Apsara away. She landed behind Ishtar and Chevalier. Clothes torn from the fight and suffered a few cuts, but the demon and butler were otherwise unharmed.

A Nasod arm raised in unison with Esencia, descending as she gave the command. The giant mechanical arm sent shockwaves as it crushed its sole target. Dust and debris clouded her vision and made Apsara gag, waving her hand and covering her mouth. Once things began to clear, she could make out the outline of a tall figure.

A swordsman in a white hooded jacket trimmed with black fur and a tan complexion emerged from the settled dust. His blade was of a blue metallic, its handle grip wrapped in black ribbons held by his left arm. Gold eyes hardened when they formed eye contact.

"Raven," Esencia identified the man.

"Eve," Blade lowered his blade. "I see you have found one of our comrades."

Apsara gasped in seeing the older male. That look again; she was worried. It held the same disdain Richter gave her. Apsara wasn't used to being at the receiving end of scorn and indifference. It took her a moment to recognize that Blade's left jacket sleeve cut around the shoulder area to make room for a mechanical but sleeker Nasod arm. She had almost mistaken the arm for a human one with how smooth and fluid its movements were. Blade used his Nasod arm to wield his sword, a contrast to Rage.

Arm pulled over Blade's shoulder, Richter limped in his walk. His hair lost its shine and returned to a darker shade of the sky. Cuts and bruises decorated his skin exposed to the elements.

"You took too long," Richter said.

"We're limited on members," Blade replied. "Can you still walk?"

Richter nodded.

"Let's go," Blade pulled out a sphere from his jacket pocket and tossed it at their feet.

Mist evaporated, dense fog obscuring their vision. Apsara reached for where the two men once were, only to run her hands through nothing. Gone. Where have they disappeared? The young woman turned to see her friends following her.

"They'll be back," Esencia said. "Raven is not one to run away."

"Diplomacy seems to be out of the question," Chevalier rubbed his head. "Not ones to talk, are they?"

"Did you see the way Ain talked to us?" Ishtar fumed. "He looked down at us like we were inferiors!"

_We need to be cautious, _Eun warned her. _They could be planning something. _

_I know, _Apsara thought with sadness. Would things have worked differently if she was more cautious in her words?

Sensing her distress, Eun reassured the young woman. _You did what you could. No time to regret what has been done. _

Apsara looked into the mist with sadness.

* * *

_Furious Blade _

Blade rested his head against the base of a tree not too far to where they have encountered their friends' counterparts. There were at least four of them when Blade found Richter cornered by them, weapons raised. Sweat patched over his forehead, the older male looked up to one of the Demon Realm's numerous moons, clenching his Nasod arm into a tight fist and releasing. Wiggling his left digits left a tinge of an emotion Blade hasn't felt since he last saw his father. Wonder and amazement to how human-like the motions were, no longer claws gripping over his palm.

Calibrated to be sensitive to the slightest touch, it processed information from its owner as quickly as a natural one would, maybe faster. It was one of Dominator's better inventions that didn't involve lasers, although the scientist proclaimed he was more than happy to change that. Mentions of an auto-tracking rocket arm were the last straw where Blade had to put his foot down. Ultimate's suggestions for spears wasn't helping things either. The swordsman let out an audible sigh on his teammates' lack of tact. Let him use his arm for its intended purpose!

"What were you doing fighting four people at once?" Anemos applied pressured over Richter's open wounds with a cotton ball.

"They had Elsword," Richter replied.

"You should have ran away or called for backup!" She snapped, "One of us could have come and helped!"

The priest did not protest but kept his head lowered. Lips visibly quivering, his shoulders shook as Richter let out shallow gasps from the short sprint they endured. It was a rare event for the celestial to use his feet to run rather than using external forces to propel himself off the ground. There were limited magical sources for Richter to rely on, forcing him into making pragmatic decisions in saving his energy for more immediate matters.

Blue hair drenched in sweat and red dirt, he reminded Blade of a demon plant minus the deadly neurotoxins. His skin flushed pink and had glassy eyes, blinking rapidly and mumbling prayers to an unseen being Blade had lost faith to years ago. Richter was strong, but his unbreaking loyalty reminded him of the comrades he once worked with, before Owen…

"And they didn't let you see the brat?" Dominator looked up from his screens. "Who did you see?"

"Elsword wasn't with them," Blade frowned.

Anemos and Dominator caught him up with the details of what happened when they came into contact with their counterparts. They caught Richter in possession of something that belonged to one of their friends. Pleads and excuses were lost amid the fighting and confusion. The swordsman rubbed his forehead in frustration when he caught sight of his alternate throwing Rune over their shoulder. Of course it had to be his counterpart, Blade looked up to see a dark sky. The universe seemed to enjoy pitting him against himself on more than one occasion. Hopefully, this Raven will be more open to reason than the previous ones.

"Both of the Demons were there." Richter pressed his hand over another cotton ball over his opened wound as Anemos wrapped a bandage over. His lips tightened into a straight line, "and Ms. Fox."

Lights flickered out from Dynamo, holographic screens dissipated into thin lines and Dominator stopped typing. The scientist turned to Richter, mumbling to himself and biting his lower lip in anger. Dynamo twitched in unison with their master, blinking purple light that made it distracting for Blade to watch without closing his eyes.

"She's with them?" Dominator cursed, "Of all luck to deal with her."

"Do we really have to fight her?" Anemos rested her hand over her brow.

"What else will it be?" Dominator growled, "That's what she does. Have you seen what they've done to this guy?"

Richter leveraged his arm to test for pain, pressing his finger over the bandage with a light tap and twisting his wrists for movement. Potions and elixirs sped up the healing process, but it didn't ease the tension between them in seeing the injuries on their teammate. If Blade hasn't found Richter earlier, how long would the priest last in a fight? Richter was easily outnumbered by well-coordinated fighters with years of experience. Blade didn't expect anything less from their alternates. Their numbers and adaptability were what made them strong. Close bonds only made that more so.

"Elsword isn't with them, so shouldn't we reprioritize whether to fight them?" Richter asked. "It's clear that their motive is to separate us from the others to reduce our number."

"We can't ignore the possibility of her going after our friends," Blade said. "Our fight at the very least will slow her down."

"That's a bleak outlook," Anemos commented. "Have more faith in us."

"It's not that I don't trust our efforts," Blade rubbed his neck. "It's our luck."

It couldn't be helped that they would have to confront their counterparts, but that didn't make it any easier for Blade to accept without thinking of the possibilities. Another unavoidable fight, he thought with bitterness. It was going to be troublesome sorting things out, especially with himself. The last time Blade tried to reason with himself ended with ruffled tail feathers and a one sided fight.

"Then what is our objective?" Richter asked.

"Slow down their progress," Blade said. "Don't let them catch up with the rest of their group. If you can take them down, do it. We don't want to prolong a fight and waste our resources if it's something that can be helped."

Brutal words, but pragmatic in a situation such as theirs. They hardly had the luxury to adjust to their new environment before they encountered the other El Search Party. It was uncertain how long their alternates have stayed in the Demon Realm, but it was evident that they were more familiar with their environment from their strategic placement and movement. They were at a disadvantage going against a group that was more familiar with their surroundings than they were.

"Why are you looking at me for answers?" Blade gripped his blade, his fingers trembling over the handle.

Dominator scoffed, "you're always bossing us around like we're children."

"So we leave as quickly as we come." Anemos mused, "and what about Ara?"

Blade turned pale. Right… a strategy to combat the woman who shared Devi's face. Luckily, the alternates wore different clothes, so they couldn't mistake them as their own teammates, but it didn't make fighting them any easier. Apsara was still a skilled fighter and would likely be as brutal as her counterpart if given a reason to be.

"Ms. Fox-in-White is the most dangerous in close combat," Richter said. "The Demons are more synchronized."

If Ultimate was here, Blade would have sent her to fight Apsara, but she was with Flame and Phantom. Splitting their party into smaller groups had the advantage of covering more ground, but it was important that there was at least one person with the ability or technology to detect Elsword. Dominator would be just as sufficient in keeping distance between himself and the martial artist. His drones could be meddlesome for close-range fighters.

"That sounds like our friends all right." Anemos adjusted her gloves. "Is there anything else we should know about who we're fighting?" Anemos asked.

The priest glanced at Dominator to the side, hesitant in his answer. "Ms. Empress is with them."

"The Queen?" Dominator drawled, hands clasped and fingers crossed. "Tell me more."

Confused by the scientist's sudden eagerness, Richter threw a quizzical look to Dominator.

"Three more Nasods were with her," he reported. "One is tall and carries a sword, another uses projectiles, and there was a little one with her."

The Nasod Scout? The appearance of the smaller Nasod flashed in Blade's mind. Hoisted by claw-like appendages, it crawled on its fours like a crab and used its size to attack unexpected enemies. Esencia having control over multiple Nasods was new, but the return of the Nasod Scout was relieving news. At least not everything about their alternates was completely different.

"They move on their own accord and wait for orders. They won't fight unless she's nearby," the priest continued, "Ms. Empress has the most drastic change in how she fights."

The description eerily resembled the Nasods under Adam's command. They were weak, but their creator mass-produced them at an alarming rate. Ultimate didn't have that ability, so Blade prayed that the same applied to this Eve. The swordsman was not as enthusiastic as Dominator about the possibility of fighting Nasods again.

"Lu, Ciel, Ara, and Eve." Anemos murmured, "And they work well together from what Ain told us. Who will go after Elsword in the meantime?"

"Eve said she'll run scans for him and Elsword." Blade said, "Lu and Ciel might be further from them, but they'll be on the lookout as well."

"If this fight is too much for you, then allow me to take on the Queen." Dominator grinned, "You can deal with the fox."

Blade twitched at the transparent excuse. Using Esencia as an excuse to avoid fighting Apsara… No tact whatsoever, the older man covered his eyes with his Nasod hand. Although with the scientist's extensive knowledge of Nasods, a fight against Esencia would reel positive results. They would be evenly matched because of Dominator's drones and Nasods.

"I oppose," Richter raised his hand.

"You haven't even listened to my perfect plan yet!" Dominator jabbed a finger at the blue-haired man, "Is it your life objective to disagree with every statement I make?"

A faint line curled at the corner of Richter's lips, subtle but distinctive for the otherwise stoic priest.

Dominator groaned, "Can't even complete a sentence without Mr. Holy-Art-Thou over here to rain on my parade!"

"Have you finally caught up on modern language, Mr. Ancient?" Richter taunted the man in white.

"Do I need to separate you two?" Anemos walked between the two men and turned to Dominator. "You can fight Eve, but don't forget why we're here."

Whether it was the strange gleam in Anemos eyes - usually reserved when the El Search Party trailed off-track, or because of the unsettling aura the elf gave off when her patience was wearing thin, she was effective in maintaining peace in their group. She didn't have the charisma Rune had or the sternness Blade established from years of being in the army, but she always seemed to know the right words. A simple nudge or phrase from her was all it took to get them back on track and focus on their goal.

The scientist froze, blinking upon realization to who he was talking to. Dominator smiled and nodded, but a rare sign of timidness was there, not unlike one of a child caught red-handed with arms deep in the cookie jar. Blade snorted at the mental image and comparison.

Richter's reaction was more subtle. There was less vanity in his expression, but it was hard to tell with the man who kept his emotions close to his chest.

"If Mr. Ancient fights Ms. Empress, then I'll take the Demons." Richter said.

"Are we fighting them individually?" Anemos asked, "We'll be spreading ourselves too thinly."

"It will weaken them as well," Richter disagreed. "They're strong because they're together."

"Wasn't it the other you who ran off with the brat?" Dominator looked at the swordsman, chuckling to himself. "Almost didn't recognize the other you with all the white hair. It's a shame we missed an opportunity to analyze a fascinating tool. The power readings Dynamo gave me are nothing like what I've seen."

"We're not fighting myself," Blade said with curtness in his tone.

It wasn't that he feared himself - Blade was past the point of being fearful after the mess they left behind in Elrianode, but it was irking to see a reflection of himself staring back at him. The same angular face painted with a tired expression, aged with years of fighting and traveling.

It was a brief moment, no less than maybe five or six seconds, but Blade's eyes fell over to the arm. Black as a crow, crimson streaks bled over his alternate's arm. Gold tips painted over Rage's claws; spikes ripped out from the shoulder and forearm. The arm looked more demonic than Nasod, pulsating and contrasting rhythmically to its host's breathes. It was _alive _.

"I gave our friends information about what to do if they have to face me." Blade said, "Our goal is to save Elsword, not fight our counterparts to the bone."

"Then I guess we have no choice but to follow your lead, huh, gramps?" Dominator cocked his head to the side with a sly grin.

Why was everyone insistent on giving him unnecessary nicknames? Each one was as ridiculous as the last, sometimes making no sense at all. Twenty-nine years was hardly old if he was comparing himself to Ultimate and Anemos, although one would think Richter was a century years old from how he talked.

"Do you really think this is our only option?" Anemos asked.

"I don't know," Blade admitted. "One of us just attacked them and are making demands they can't give into. In their eyes, we're the enemy and I might have to agree with them."

The elf woman looked at him with sadness.

Blade knew he wasn't wrong. Like many regretful decisions, there was no pulling back on what already happened. The swordsman wasn't going to waste his time getting angry over Richter for initiating a fight with themselves. If Seris was still alive and was kidnapped instead of Rune, Blade would have done the same with worse repercussions. Unlike Richter, he wasn't surrounded by good company when he was at his worse.

"I'm not saying you're wrong, but I think this fight will end differently than you anticipated." Anemos giggled, "I'm sure Elsword will let the other Raven know what he thinks about our situation."

He snorted. Rune was going to talk his kidnappers' heads off until dawn broke if given the chance, but the imagery was enough to garner a faint smile from Blade.

"Are we leaving?" Richter asked.

"Yes," he pulled his blade out. "Let's go."

* * *

**Author Notes:** As you may have noticed, it has been a while since I uploaded a new chapter. Without going too much into detail about my life, my schedule has changed and I won't have a lot of time to work on fanfics. In addition, I no longer play Elsword as much because of new interests and due to CP restrictions in the newer dungeons. I will see what I can do to finish this fanfic, but future updates will come slower. Thank you for your patience and for all of your support!


	6. Mindfulness

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 7,205

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 06: **_**_Mindfulness_**

* * *

_Code: Esencia_

Fighting has temporarily ceased. In what appeared as a sign of victory was cut short by the appearance of an additional enemy. He shared Rage's appearance in facial structure and body, but his disposition and body language spoke volumes of his intentions. Esencia understood when Blade extended his sword, lowering his body with the poise of a veteran fighter. His narrow eyes revealed a common emotion the Nasod queen recognized in all living beings she had fought. Blade was wary, defensive.

Her scans displayed readings Esencia saw when she looked at Richter. Same levels of El as Rage, yet there were differences that perplexed Esencia. Nasods and humans' levels of El fluctuated depending on the situation and their condition, but always had an average reading. Rage and Blade had similar levels, but they were distributed in different areas. It was as if Blade had neglected his Nasod arm in favor of another form of fighting to have developed higher stamina than his counterpart.

Grabbing Richter by the arm, the swordsman aided the blue-haired man in a quick but clumsy exit. Rage had once performed an act of kindness when Esencia was damaged from a fight against the demons invasion in Velder. He and Bluhen were not enemies, but they were not what humans considered to be close friends, only lifting their heads slightly in acknowledgment if they happened to be next to each other. Seeing their alternates come to each other's aid wasn't something Esencia could have predicted.

_How many were injured?_ Empire asked through their communicators, her intonation rose at the end in concern. _Is everyone all right? _

"How did you know?" Apsara asked, "Are you hurt too?"

The red knight gave a quiet chuckle, _You left your speaker on again. _

"How- how much did you hear?" The martial artist stuttered, waving her arms in alarm. Empire didn't need to see Apsara's face to recognize the panic in the martial artist's expression, exaggerated even by human standards. Hair strands perked from her hairline, falling over Apsara's pink face.

_Enough to catch that argument you had with Ain,_ Empire said. _That was him, right? He didn't sound very friendly. _

"Hmph, that is a subpar description of what he is." Ishtar puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms closer to her body with a deep scowl. "An ungrateful brat who won't call us by our names."

"Doesn't ours do the same?" Chevalier was confused, "He only recently started calling us nicer names."

"Is Rune safe?" Esencia asked. "Has he spoken?"

Out of the rune user's insistence, the party had dubbed him as Rune to avoid confusion between the two Elswords. He was their leader, yet at the same time, he wasn't Knight. Members of the El Search Party commented on his clothes ("Are you sure you don't need another jacket?" Crusader asked).

With a gentle smile, because humans became eased when given little gestures, Rune failed to conjure a proper answer when Esencia offered him tea. A melancholic expression flashed in his eyes before the magic knight agreed to help them. The same eyes Esencia had when she opened her eyes to discover that her faithful servants were no more. Guilt. Pain. Things she once felt shame to possess. Did both Elswords experience them too?

It was difficult to determine the cause of the appearance of their counterparts due to insufficient data, but the Nasod queen was prepared to utilize what they did know. Rune was another Elsword who claimed he had contact with their leader. That was why she accepted the El Search Party's decision to keep Rune. His resonance with the El could be helpful in addition to Bluhen's in finding Knight in the shroud of dark El and demon inhabitants.

Empire lowered her voice into one of sadness. Lights flickered from their communicators, no longer flashing a message to all team members. She didn't want to be heard by the others. Her voice reached their smaller group of four.

_Rune's still here,_ Empire said. _I told him not to push himself, but he kept apologizing, saying it's his fault._

"They located us," Esencia looked to the distance on her left side, allowing her lens to zoom into the moving shadows in the distance. "There are four of them."

"We'll talk to you later," Apsara spoke into her communicator. "Keep everyone safe."

Her speaker went off before Empire could give a response.

The sky glowed, iridescent light shining in all directions. Gold thread swung over Richter's head, steel-blue eyes gazed ahead with long hair extending down his back. The colors in his eyes inverted - pupils and sclera turned blue and white irises. El radiated from the man's pores as he drew out pointed blades for each hand; they lacked physical shape but were held together by an immeasurable amount of sheer will.

Several blades formed around Richter, merging into a longsword as he dashed forward and propelled himself. His blade clashed with Ishtar's, barbed weapons sharpened at their ends with each side waiting for a moment of hesitation from their opponent. Richter backed away at the sound of bullets coming from his right.

Smoke emitted from Chevalier's gun blades. Bullets pierced across the battlefield the second time, bringing the priest's attention over to the butler. Fighting a human opponent made Chevalier cautious, pulling his trigger away from Richter's vital organs. It was apparent that the blue-haired man's intention was to keep the priest alive. He had no interest in killing his own kind when they could make use of Richter's knowledge. Richter's intention in attacking them wasn't something Esencia could extract from a database if one existed.

Chevalier adjusted his feet, spread apart to fire a giant cannonball. Intensive levels of energy spiked from his gunblade and imploded. The aftershock threw Richter against the tree trunks with an audible thud. The teal haired man wiped his forehead, furrowed brows and stared at the crisp cut indented into exposed alabaster skin.

Clutching her left arm, Ishtar smirked. "Your timing is impeccable as always."

"My apologies," Chevalier landed on his feet. The cross-shaped firearm on his back shifted as he repositioned himself. "I'll have to be faster next time."

A shimmer of light shone in Ishtar's hand, materializing into a blue spear. Light shimmered at her feet, leaping midair and blue flames flared from her body. Fire crackled and engulfed Richter in a sea of blue. The forest's temperature rose in unison to the duo crossing their weapons.

Moby and Remy alerted Esencia to look over her shoulder. Her lens shuttered. Oberon summoned by her side, her servant raised a blade in each hand for a wide slash. Each pose was precise with a purpose, reading his opponents' moves to formulate the next attack. The chain attached to Oberon's shoulder blade clanged when he pressed his blades together to block an attack. A pair of heeled shoes with spiky cleats came into her peripheral vision.

The wind carried Anemos' weight in a complex dance of jumps and sprints. The markings on her thighs made her similar to Ventus' not only in appearance but in the way she held herself. She was confident, but the smile tugging at the edge of her lower lip gave way for a very human expression in which her brows were lifted ever slightly, gleaming with a spark of playfulness.

Anemos twirled, performing somersaults and landing high jump kicks into Oberon's chest. The Nasod assistant flew across, slamming his foot back in resistance with blades dampening the elf woman's attack.

"Sorry! My bad~" The elf spread her fingers in a lazy wave, "I heard you were here. Didn't know you had extra friends with you!"

Esencia winced when Anemos left an indentation between Oberon's ribs. Pulling her servant back, blue screens projected from Remy and Moby. She had a sentry drone take over and ordered it to charge. Its small size took Anemos by surprise and made the elf lose her footing in the sudden attack. Anemos took the fall in grace and landed on her palms, bringing her legs back and into a backflip to avoid further damage.

"Friends…" Esencia pursed her lips. Extending this fight would be beneficial because it would buy time for the rest of the El Search Party to get away from the chaos, but she recognized the flaws, as well as a Nasod should. Longer fights meant a reduction in supplies and high risk in losing valuable team members if any of them were injured. She had her servants, but they didn't perform well in extraneous fights. Identifying and targeting Anemos' weakness must be a priority. The Nasod queen trusted her friends' ability to take on the other three.

"Airelinna," Anemos brought her palms together. A gentle breeze summoned a small creature, leaving a blessing and restoring her stamina. Her footsteps became lighter as she drew out her bow. Arrows formed at Anemos' fingertips and shone, raining down upon the Nasod queen.

"Oberon," Esencia drew back a hand to summon back the Nasod servant. "Protect."

Oberon held his arms out and summoned a blue dome-shaped barrier between Anemos and them. The electric field sparked as he raised his blades at the elf, pushing her back and blocking her attacks.

"You're not chatty," Anemos tucked her body into a low crouch. She hugged her left arm and winced in pain, sweat trailing down the side of her neck with a tired smile. "You and Eve would get along well."

Esencia blinked. The other Eve? Something in her circuits clicked at the mention of another Nasod queen. They would likely hold the same code if the other Eve followed the same path as she did, but it was not the first time the thought had occurred in Esencia. The loneliness persisted even after she reclaimed her servants. Would the other Eve experience the same emotions as she did?

"Unless you know where Elsword is, there is nothing to add to this conversation," Esencia said.

She ordered Oberon to retrieve and raised her hands to summon her other servant. Humanoid in appearance, Ophelia was shorter than Oberon and donned a knee-length dress.

"I thought you would say that," Anemos sighed.

Propping herself back on her feet, Anemos leaped from across, taking long strides and using her magic to increase her speed. The elf strung her bow back, firing three arrows at Ophelia. Ophelia emitted electric currents from her core, catching the arrows midair and reducing them to ashes.

A kick to the side, a powerful wind churned from within Anemos. Powerful wind picked lifted Esencia into the air as the elf struck Ophelia between the ribs, sending the servant flying across the forest. The tornado dropped Esencia to the floor, but not before she dropped into Oberon's arms. She thanked the Nasod and patted Oberon by the shoulder to be lowered.

Oberon sliced through the air with his blades, forming a circular motion as he danced a macabre dance. Moby and Remy burst into awakening mode as Esencia activated the Queen Core. The core configuration reversed into a ring with the core at the center and blared a violent red. Lasers shot from the core's essence in unison to Oberon striking into their target.

Blood gushed from Anemos' forearm. The woman wrapped the injured arm with a spare piece of cloth and applied pressure to it. She kept her weight in the back of her feet and kept moving, her eyes danced between Esencia and the Nasod servants.

"The way you fight reminds me of someone," Anemos breathed. "He's not one to underestimate the enemy either."

"You acknowledge being the enemy?" Esencia asked.

She giggled, "I'm not blind in your distrust of me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Esencia denied. Until there was enough information about the El Search Party's counterparts, she would withhold trust until there was evidence saying otherwise. The Nasod queen was uncertain about having an amicable opponent, too friendly to make her comfortable.

"Do you now?" Anemos drawled.

"Oberon," she called for her servant. "Sonic Wave!"

Appearing in front of the queen, Oberon took charge. His helmet shone as he raised his legs and kicked the ground to propel himself at Anemos. Oberon performed a backflip for a wide slash with the side of his blades when Esencia detected foreign Nasod technology. Before her program could detect the source, an unknown object flew past her field of vision. It followed Oberon. Moby and Remy detected its movement guided by a tracking device. There was insufficient time to identify it. A flat disc the size of her palm fired into Oberon's body, increasing the number of dents in the Nasod before returning to its owner.

Four drones appeared together as a cluster. She picked up high readings in energy as pink lasers fired from them in unison. Oberon fought to resist the tension, waving his blades to inflict damage, but they persisted. Temperatures rose the closer the drones approached Oberon, melting through his plated exterior and forcing the Nasod to shut down.

"What kind of drone is this?" A male voice rose from the dust. Sparks flew from a pair of magenta eyes, "Is that all the Queen has to offer?"

Esencia narrowed her eyes. Oberon was a _servant_, not a drone. She did not need a facial recognition program to inform her who the man was.

Dressed in white, Dominator had six drones and a pair of circular ones following him the way Moby and Remy did for her. Using his drones as a makeshift seat, the man crossed his legs and ground his heels against what was left of Oberon's faceplate. The black portion was scraped to expose melted circuits and snapped wires.

"Didn't I tell you I would take on the Queen?" Dominator pulled Anemos up from the floor, "The fox is all yours."

"Leaving her to me and Raven?" Anemos was not as impressed.

"It takes time to set up the perfect experiment," the scientist waved his hand. "Wouldn't you agree, Eve?"

Her circuits ran hot in response to his intonation. Dominator talked more than Bringer by a wide margin. Regardless, she held the same emotion as she did with the brawler who proclaimed himself to be a Nasod engineer. Irritation flared from Esencia's emotion control circuit before she had the time to rein back control on irrational thoughts.

Dominator mentioned a fox. Apsara was a target to the opposite El Search Party because of Eun. They viewed her as an obstruction from confronting the martial artist and sent Dominator to fight her. Leaving the Nasod specialist to fight the Nasod queen was a logical decision on their part. Oberon was no longer in service, but Esencia still had her servants and her friends. That would be enough to sustain herself.

"No response?" Dominator chuckled darkly, "That's fine. The priest told me about your new drones. Let's see how they fare in an experiment."

* * *

_Rune Master_

"How many were injured?" Empire spoke into her mic in a hushed tone, whispering words not meant for anyone to hear. "Is everyone all right?"

Rune leaned inward, yearning to listen to the conversation the red-haired knight had with their - _her_ teammates. They looked like his friends, something he was still scrambling to piece together with as much grace as one could in his situation. He wasn't going to pretend that he understood why there were two El Search Parties, but he knew that Empire was concerned for the well-being of her friends. Empire wouldn't be his big sister if she wasn't as caring and took responsibility for the pain of others.

A cold chill ran over Rune's pores, a cool breeze rustled the leaves from the tree trunk where he laid his head to rest. If he gazed at the sky, he could have identified all of the constellations overhead. The stars' alignments shifted from their positions in Elrios, but they were recognizable once he adjusted his perspective of them.

_"I'm here if you need to talk." Empire's voice rang in his head. _

Ever since he confronted Solace and gave himself to the El, he gained newfound sensitivity to everyone's wavelengths. He saw colored lines connecting the users to the source. Although he wasn't as adept in detecting and differentiating El resonance as Richter, Rune knew as soon as he met Knight. They ran on the same wavelength, a red spark formed between the two before violently torn apart by the demon encounter.

_"Why do you talk to me like I'm him?" he asked. _

Rune reached for his communicator, toying with the white device clipped between his jacket sleeve. The thin purple highlights shone innocently under the moonlight. His sister's counterpart was occupied with her own conversation and the rest of the group were tending to their wounds from the previous fight. This was his chance to contact his friends and make a run for it. He needed to let them know where he was.

_"But you _are_ him." _

Was he? Rune was no longer sure. He may have shared the same El resonance as Knight, but did he use it to its full potential? His father and sister trained him the way of the sword, only for Rune to pursue magic in their absence. Knight stayed true to his ways and became a Velder knight, never losing sight of the dreams Rune abandoned in Elder.

_"Knowing that I'm not him, you still hold me captive?" Rune lowered his head, "That's selfish of you." _

Rune knew he hit a sore spot because Empire flinched from the disdain in his tone. Captive was a strong word, but being tossed over Rage's shoulder like a rag doll without his say in the matter wasn't exactly something he was gung-ho about either. Who would have thought Blade's counterpart could make impulsive decisions on the fly without making a lecture out of it?

_"You're the last person Elsword talked to." Empire whispered, "Any clues about his whereabouts would help." _

So they were going to keep him here until he spilled the beans or when they found the poster boy for heroism? Rune didn't like it. Weapons were drawn and emotions ran high. As long as Knight was absent, any words of reason would fall into deaf ears.

Slipping away now was a possibility, but it was a fool's plan if Rune wanted to be outnumbered and outpowered. In unknown territory infested with demons, the odds were against him if he wanted a successful escape. Although the group was four members short, seven people remained. It was best to stay low and wait until his friends could find him. Ultimate and Dominator had the technology to track him and Richter, Abysser, and Timoria had their keen senses.

_"I know you're not happy but…" Empire choked, "Please. He's my brother." _

Rune bit his lips. He was awful at saying no to his sister. She just wanted to see her brother again. How could Rune deny her that when he went through the same pain? Knight gave it his all and pushed him away in exchange for his livelihood, an act of selflessness he had clearly learned from his sister. It was a weakness that was going to be exploited against him one day, Rune looked up in exasperation.

How hard could it be to find a redhead in a dimension where everything came in shades of blue and purple? If Knight was anything like him, he wouldn't stay quiet for long and cause havoc to whoever was unfortunate enough to kidnap him. Rune had doubts Knight was one to stay put without fighting back. The rune user wasn't even aware of Knight's existence until hours ago, yet it had become easy to accept his other self after the initial shock.

Rune did what he could to be discreet in turning on his communicator without making it obvious. No need to alert the El Search Party that he was making a call. He saw Knight's friends using similar devices as his, identical in everything but the color schemes.

"Come on, work!" Rune mumbled to his communicator.

It worked fine when they were in Elrianode. Why did it lose connection now? Was it the high concentration of Dark El or demonic energy? He allowed the device to flicker to life and stayed still. Static filled his eardrums as he struggled to find a connection. No luck.

Was there no other way to contact his friends? Rune looked at the device in defeat, pondering if smacking it by the side would fix it. Dominator would probably yell at him for that, but at least he'll get a good laugh out of it.

"Elsword?"

"Ack!" Rune tossed his communicator in the air, juggling it between his two hands before stuffing it in his jacket pocket. His shoulders relaxed when he saw a pair of eyes the color of the Hamel sea. "Hi, uh… Chung. What's up?"

"Do you mind if I join?" Crusader pointed at the patch of grass beside Rune, "We won't be moving until everyone is well-rested."

Rune shook his head, biting the side of his cheek. What was he going to do? Say no and tell Crusader to go elsewhere? Discomfort edged in the back of his mind at the thought of shooing the other male away. He scooted to the side and made room for the guardian, pulling his legs into a criss-cross with his arms on his lap. Next to the full armored Crusader, Rune felt naked and exposed to the elements in his unbuttoned white jacket.

Phantom once explained to Rune about the material used for the armor Hamel soldiers donned in combat. There was a science in making the white armor durable enough to absorb damage in battles, but light enough for the wearer to stay on their toes and avoid detection by the enemy. The armor and destroyer made Crusader reminiscent to Helputt, who Rune had met briefly before he left to fend off the demon army. Would Phantom still have a father if their party found the elder Seiker earlier?

"I'm sorry about how I've been treating you." Crusader rested his cannon against the tree trunk. "I should have listened to you and now we're in this mess."

"I'm not sure if that would make a difference," Rune closed his eyes. "Carrying me off without an explanation isn't a well-thought plan."

Crusader stared at the rune user but agreed, "I guess not…"

"Never thought Raven was the impulsive type."

"What is he?"

Rune grinned, "a bird."

"I'm being serious," the guardian deadpanned.

"How can you say I wasn't?" Rune covered his chest with one gloved hand, "that really hurt. I thought we had something together."

Crusader turned his head away and let out a quiet huff, sweeping his bangs to the side. He wasn't going to ignore Rune, was he? Not even an acknowledgment of his ridiculous statement? Phantom would have thought it was funny, Rune looked at the guardian in disbelief.

A pointed hair ornament held his ponytail together and gave the guardian a regal look like the princes that lived inside Rune's storybooks. His facial features were Phantom's, yet they were different. Was it because Rune was aware that this was not the Chung he traveled with? Or was it because Crusader held caution in approaching him as if he was an abnormality? Someone to be wary of?

"Why are you in Demon Realm?" Crusader asked.

"Can't a guy take a scenic stroll?" Rune dropped his smile when he realized he wasn't going to get a response from Crusader until he dropped the facade. "It's the same reason as your Elsword. We're looking for information about the Dark El and the El is unstabilized again because of me."

"The El," he echoed. Recognition flashed in Crusader's face, horror and guilt pained in his eyes. "Unstable because of you? Elsword, that isn't your fault-"

"Call me Rune," he interrupted. Rune was not going to deal with the confusion of two Elswords if they were going to talk about him. It hurt to see Phantom's look-alike show undeserved solemnity for a carbon-copy of their leader.

"You're just as foolish as him," Crusader said without venom. "Don't take the blame for everything when it's our fault too."

Ah, this conversation again. He could feel Crusader's fixed stare into the back of his neck. It wasn't fair feeling complacent in talking to a man who looked so much like Phantom. So serious, yet had his emotions out on display like a playbook. Rune almost felt guilty for toying with him.

"That's what he said, too." Rune let out a genuine laugh, "Did Elsword succeed?" Rune was hopeful. Did Knight find a way to stabilize the El without a human vessel?

"No, the El is unstable."

His heart dropped. Nothing was different from his timeline? Rune glanced over to where the rest of the El Search Party were. Moonlight shone across to where he and Crusader sat, just enough for Rune to make out the figures dressed in green, red, purple, and black huddled together. That must be Daybreaker talking to Empire and Rage. Their shadows leaned against the base of an overhauling tree lined by fluorescent moss. Rune could barely make out Doom Bringer's silhouette with his weapons floating beside the brawler. Flowers bigger than them curled at the end of their sharp-edge petals, roots scrawled over the damp floor.

Crusader turned his attention to where Rune's was. Sitting at the base of the tree was Aether talking to Bluhen. The two had their heads close together, moving their lips in inaudible exchanges. Their quiet murmurs filled the emptiness between the deep parts of the forest. Crusader's his eyes crinkling when he saw Aether explain something to Bluhen.

_Don't be stupid,_ Rune scowled. That's not Phantom. He and Oz have done collaborations in the past, but he didn't see her like that. Phantom wasn't interested in… No matter how similar they were, Crusader didn't choose to become an assassin. They couldn't be any more different. No need to get frustrated.

"Is something wrong?" Crusader turned to face Rune.

Rune held an unsteady gaze at the blond man, searching for signs of Phantom in the guardian. Same complexion and body structure, although it was hard to tell with the heavy armor plates.

"Your crown thing," Rune pointed at the hair ornament sitting at the back of Crusader's head where the ponytail started. "It's falling off."

"Oh, you mean this?" Crusader tugged and pulled it out. He ran the comb teeth through his hair, tucking it back and pulling his hair to make sure it stayed there. "Wow, you have an eye for this. Thanks!"

"Sure," Rune hated how hollow he sounded. The redhead sighed, "Doesn't it bother you that both of us failed to stabilize the El?"

"It was our decision to rescue Elsword." Crusader's expression remained kind and patient. "Even if it meant risking the world, he meant more to us than the El."

"Placing your trust into one guy," Rune tilted his head. "Is that a wise decision?"

"Are we talking about you or Elsword?" Crusader asked.

"Both."

Forget about holding accountability for a party of twelve. Rune never asked to be placed with the responsibility to keep the world in balance. He was no longer the awkward teenager searching for an adventure and place in the world, but doubt in himself remained. Why him? There were knights and soldiers more capable than him!

"You're not the only one searching for ways to keep the El alive." Crusader got on his feet and offered a hand to Rune, "You have friends to help."

Rune accepted the male's hand and was pulled up to his toes, shaking his legs from a bad case of pins and needles. "How do you know they don't hate me for pulling them into all this?"

"I don't," Crusader admitted. "But if they followed you into Demon Realm, I doubt they do." He stole a glance at Aether again to see the mage leaving, "Let's head back. Everyone's waiting for us."

"Thanks for the talk," Rune looked at his scarless hands. How did Bluhen do it? He should ask if Richter could do the same. "I needed it."

The guardian smiled, "That's what friends are for."

_But we just met_, was caught in the back of Rune's throat when Crusader smiled. The rune user ducked his head and ran to catch up to the El Search Party crowding beside a giant flowering plant for shelter. He was surrounded by familiar faces, yet they were all new to him. Rune took a deep breath. The sooner he helped them find Knight, the closer he was to return to his friends. What a mess.

* * *

_Dominator _

Collecting battle data from their opponents was panning out to be better than Dominator ever could have hoped for. The butler and his demon brat were occupied by a disgruntled priest with no tack. Thanks to Anemos, the queen was worn down and allowed Dominator to come in and take down one of her main Nasods. Blade's plan was to pull away three of the opposing team's long-ranged fighters to reveal Apsara's blind spots.

"Don't tell me this Nasod is all you have."

Dominator grabbed a broken Nasod arm and tossed it to the rest of the white armored Nasod beneath his feet. Disappointing. Has Esencia gone weak from the security of relying on her servants? Richter said she had more Nasods under her disposal. Where were they?

"Oberon is a servant," Esencia glared.

"My apologies," Dominator said with amusement.

How interesting. The queen saw her subjects as sentient beings despite being their creator and programmer. Had Esencia been an organic lifeform, Dominator suspected she would have broken into angry tears over the damage he had done to the Nasod.

"Ophelia!" Esencia ordered her servant, "Assault Spear!"

Another Nasod rose from the ground with a spear almost twice her height. Ophelia, was it? Weapon pointing downward, Ophelia descended. Dynamo blocked most of the impact, shielding him from the attack. Pressured strained against Dominator, placing his weight to the back of his feet and gritting his teeth.

Dominator gagged as dust and debris settled around him. It was going to take hours for him to wash out the dirt after this, he scowled. No matter, this battle should be easy. His eyes landed over to Ophelia, who had sparks flying from her forearms and one leg pulled back into a fighting stance. Just a little further and he should have enough information on the Nasod servant.

"Drone Activator!" The tracking device shot in the form of missiles, aiming for Esencia.

Ophelia dashed to take the hit for her queen. The device latched onto the Nasod's stomach and flashed purple to signal the target's location. Dominator reached for his panel as Dynamo alerted him on his opponent's presence. Blood trickled down his leg as Dominator caught Esencia firing electric shocks alongside her Nasods. His vision went red as Dominator experienced high voltage of electricity traveling through his body.

Dominator snarled and bared his teeth. He wasn't going to let Dynamo and his armor reach their limits before passing out. Not when he was close to acquiring data on another model of Eve. Sparks flew from Dynamo as Dominator installed a set of drones at his feet. Lasers fired and rained down on his opponents, casting harsh lighting against the dense forest.

Launching herself up into the air, Esencia fired electron balls as she glided away from the explosion. Electric currents shot from Ophelia's forearms before her exterior was decimated by the heat from Dominator's Starfall. The Nasod's outer shell cracked before she was recalled by Esencia.

"Impressive," Dominator stopped to catch his breath. His face stung from the bleeding, how troublesome. "You have separate Nasod units to address your limitations in battles and your powers are still functional. I wouldn't expect less from the Nasod queen."

Esencia had a core hidden behind her bangs. It shone a brilliant light despite the accumulating scratches from the current and previous battles. Most Nasods would have lasted in half the time Esencia did in their fight, but it helped when she had an array of servants to fight for her.

"Surely you have something to say," Dominator rubbed his chin. "Don't you have questions to why you are no longer the only Nasod queen? Do you realize that means there are multiple timelines existing in different dimensions?"

"Be quiet," Esencia said. "Unless you know where Elsword is, discussing this is pointless."

"The red menace?" Dominator snorted, "Don't make me laugh! You have him. I am-"

"Annoying," Esencia looked down at the scientist. "You talk a lot."

_Ouch. _

"Blunt as ever, I see." Dominator wiped the blood trickling his mouth with his sleeve and grinned. "Why are you fighting me then? Certainly not because you want to listen to my lovely voice."

"Elsword is missing and was last seen with yours."

"An idiot attracting another idiot," Dominator commented.

Learning that Rune cooperated with the other Elsword was valuable information the El Search Party would find helpful. The scientist froze when he saw a shadow from above, a giant mechanical arm summoned over Dominator's head. It slammed into the ground, sending seismic waves vibrating through the ground.

Heaven's Fist missed Dominator by mere inches as he phase shifted to a higher place. Rocks shot from the ground up and tossed him around, applying pressure and shoving him to the side. His body protested in the rough treatment and to the metallic taste in his mouth as Dominator crawled on his fours.

"Don't be rude," Esencia glared.

Looks like he hit a sore spot when it concerned the opposing team's Elbrat.

"Apocalypse!"

Screens surrounded Dominator before he summoned Nasod cubes to unionize into one several times their size. They moved together as a unit and followed their master in search of a target. Individual cubes rearranged themselves to resemble a flower. Apocalypse shot lasers from the end of its petals and fired missiles. They exploded as they came into contact with an invisible dome protecting Esencia.

A shadowed figure formed from the dust. Esencia's third Nasod assistant wore a white trench coat over a pair of black boots with a gold visor hiding his eyes. He landed feet first with his head lowered, bowing to Esencia and wielding a blade. Nasods obey their creators, but the ones under Esencia's command treated her like their ruler. Were their codes based on human behavior or was it simply them recognizing Esencia as the Nasod queen?

"Ferdinand, battle mode!" Esencia cried.

The Nasod dashed forward, electric currents traveled through his blade and struck. Sparks clashed between Ferdinand's blade and Dynamo, absorbing the impact and reflecting electric shocks to the Nasod. Apocalypse fired a particle beam at the Nasod, forcing Ferdinand to recede from Dominator.

Dominator summoned a drone and activated it midair. A black hole formed around the drones and caused an air suction, pulling the Nasod servant and his queen away from the ground. He launched a drone and attached it to his target. Numbers appeared on Dominator's screen in a countdown only visible to the scientist. The smell of burning metal filled his nostrils as the explosives set off on Esencia's body and stunned the ruler. Charged Impulser released its hold and Esencia collapsed to the floor.

Apocalypse hovered over the scientist and pointed the particle cannon to Ferdinand. Good, cube. Esencia's Nasod servant zipped through the air with acrobatic grace, evading lasers and missiles from the destructive cube. Apocalypse trailed behind Ferdinand, nipping at his heels for lack of better wording.

"What's wrong, Eve?" Dominator taunted, "Did you run out of servants to fight for you?"

It was interesting to note the destructive code's absence in Esencia. Was the queen aware of the ancient code? Or did this timeline fail to raise the factors that could have pushed Esencia into becoming a destructive Nasod as Ultimate did? Not only did her appearance contrast Ultimate's, but her stamina and how she fought suggested that her codes were a variation from her counterpart.

Wait. Dominator turned his heels at a realization and checked his scans. His eyes widened. Esencia was still active. A lone figure blurred, too fast for his eyes to have time to come into focus. Electric currents crackled from the edge of Ferdinand's blade. Hot pain erupted from Dominator's body, red spots dotted and bled into his vision. Lightning struck his body and traveled down his chest. Dominator hissed in pain, closing his eyes shut and hugging his shoulder blade where Ferdinand had struck. His body shook, gloved hands drenched in blood and sweat. Dominator ignored Dynamo's alerts flooding his screens.

_Damn you, Eve._

Dynamo huddled together in defense when Dominator turned to face Esencia's Nasod. Ferdinand raised his blade and swung past where Dominator's head once was, turning to strike again before the Nasod's body shone in bright light. Ferdinand's body shuddered, his movements churned into a sluggish response before the Nasod vanished from sight.

Dominator checked for Apocalypse's status. Datalog said it wasn't Apocalypse that forced Ferdinand to shutdown. Unless… The scientist pushed his screens aside and looked at where the queen was supposed to be.

Esencia remained laid down with her porcelain face to the side and visible cracks on her body. She was in sleep mode and was conserving energy from a forced shut down. Her long figure was hidden by layers of a white gown smeared by red demonic dirt. A bulk of metal stuck out from her ribs at an odd angle, coming close to jabbing into someone's leg. The elf had her foot over Esencia's chest and rested her chin over one knee.

Blood gushed from his shoulder and Dominator's face turned red, moving his arms so he could use his jacket to stop it from further bleeding. The blood was going to seep through his clothes and he would have to wash it again. How troublesome. His stomach churned when she placed a hand over his arm.

"How much does it hurt?" Anemos asked. "Are you okay with sitting?"

Dominator nodded, forcing himself to speak. "Ha, the queen is no pushover."

The elf supported his back with her hand and ushered him to rest against a tree trunk, lowering his body and making sure Dominator kept his balance. He closed his eyes shut and breathed through his mouth. It stung when he stretched his shoulders for Anemos to inspect.

Anemos produced a thermos in her hand, twisting the top and opening to reveal crystalline liquid filled to the brim. A strange flower laid at the bottom of the thermos - white petals blooming out of its blue center. Steeped in boiling water for hours at a time, it had a bitter herbal taste that refused to leave Dominator's mouth after taking a gulp with a pinched nose. It was a disgusting concoction ("Everything's edible once you heat them up!" Ignia said with a wink.), but it somewhat lessened the pain by numbing his nerves.

Dominator looked ahead, refusing to look as Anemos opened his bag. No matter how many battles he fought, he couldn't stand the sight of blood on his own body. It reminded him too much of old memories he wanted to forget.

He smelled the ointment she used for all occasions and applied pressure to the wound with a cotton ball. Mental images of a woman with white hair and gentle eyes flashed in his mind. The scientist fluttered his eyes open, careful not to move too much unless he wanted to feel his tendons sting.

"I found valuable information that may help us," Dominator blurted. "Elbrat was seen with theirs."

"The other Elsword?" Anemos added another cottonball to soak up the blood. She pulled out a bandage to wrap around his shoulder blade. "I did hear something about that, but I didn't see anyone else with Elsword."

"Theirs have gone missing too," he added. "Taking the brat as a replacement, huh? Ow!"

"I don't think so," Anemos tightened the bandage and sighed. "Their Eve mentioned looking for their Elsword even though ours is with them. They might have thought Elsword could help find him."

Hey, that was painful! She could have cut his blood circulation! Dominator directed his glares to the older woman, hoping she would recognize his annoyance and feel guilty. Anemos threw him a deadpan expression and might as well have shrugged, _Nice try, Add. _

"Elsword this, Elsword that." Dominator grumbled, "It's always about that kid. We might as well find him ourselves so we can trade, I guess. Use him as a bargaining chip. Brat for a brat."

"We can do that," Anemos had a thoughtful expression. "Are you telling the others?"

The scientist covered a part of his face with one hand. "I didn't think we were going to search for two. Are we spreading ourselves too thin?"

"Let's focus on finding their Elsword since we already know ours is with them."

Dominator snorted, "we're going to need nicknames if we're going to keep talking about them."

"Isn't this something you enjoy talking about?" She asked. Anemos tucked in the ends of the bandage and washed her hands with water from a water bottle.

"Yes," Dominator chuckled with a smile. "Inconvenient, but fascinating nonetheless."

He saw Anemos shaking her head with no foul intent, a look of wonder she held when she didn't quite understand what he was talking about. It didn't bother him. No one in the El Search Party besides Ultimate had a true grasp of what he did. Ultimate wasn't much of a conversationalist and Rune was more likely to ask him questions about his research than the Nasod queen herself. Hm, it was quiet without the red punk to fill the silence with his pointless chatter.

"Eat up," Anemos offered him a tart, topped with vanilla buttercream frosting and jam made from Elysion's star fruit. "You need to heal."

"They won't be happy once they find her," Dominator stole a glance to where Esencia laid.

Restoring Esencia wasn't his responsibility, but Dominator had a feeling the other El Search Party will try to make him do it anyway. Ugh. Nothing a few hours of repair couldn't fix once she regained power, but he was worried. To his knowledge, Blade and Richter were still fighting if they hadn't returned or contacted them.

"Let's focus on getting back to Ain and Raven," Anemos said. "They need our help."

The Star Fruit Tart kept its shape when Dominator broke it at the center to take a bite, a sweet but citrusy taste. He stuffed another tart into his mouth, snickering when Anemos shook her head again but smiled. Collecting battle data for the fox and the demons were worth the investigation. Fighting their teammates' alternates was going to be interesting, Dominator mused. He left Esencia sitting upright against a flowering plant with her eyes closed before joining Anemos with Dynamo behind his heels.

* * *

**Author Notes: **Thank you for being so patient with me. Life has been busy for the past few months and I realized that the year is almost done. I will try my best to continue writing the later chapters in between busy hours. I miss writing these characters and I'm thankful for those who still stick around to read my works.


	7. Bystander

****Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
****Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 7,009

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

**Notes:** Switched rating back to T after much thinking about what makes a story earn that rated M. This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

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Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 07: Bystander **_

* * *

_Knight Emperor_

Shadowed silhouettes danced in succession, too fast for Knight to keep up. Flashes of royal blue and cyan chased one another between the ashy trees set ablaze. None of them were human. Ishtar darted to the side with spears shot from her hands with Chevalier at her heels, acting as her shield and means of offense with his gun blade at hand. The two moved together as a single unit, synchronized with a single target in sight.

Blinding light sheared through the dark demonic forest with an intensity in reminiscence of the El. Knight's chest fluttered in response to the familiar warmth of the energy source emitting from a man clad in white. Long strands of hair rested over the man's shoulders. The El had influenced every part of Richter with the priest utilizing his own set of spears to counter Ishtar's. Blades expanding from Richter's fingertips to be used as a projectile.

"Using spears to compensate for lack of ranged skills," a voice drawled. "I suppose that man does more than talk about the El."

Knight sat next to Mad Paradox - not that he had an option. The chains dangling from Mad Paradox's back moved of their own will. They tightened their grip when Knight pulled on them, fighting to remove himself away from them and their owner. Paradox snickered when Knight asked how long they would remain here and ruffled the redhead's hair with a toothy grin.

His wrists ached from the chains constricting close to his skin. There were at least three or four of them, it was hard to tell. They bunched up in knots and clung to him, sometimes playfully waving in the air.

The gold pendulum Richter held between his fingers swung as he summoned additional spears to combat Chevalier from above. Chevalier spun around to launch a bullet at the defending priest, bringing his gun blade into closer range with Ishtar by his side. Blue sparks exploded with flames emitting from Ishtar's palms to force Richter to back away.

Knight held his knees close to his body and leaned his head forward. It was hard to watch the people he considered family fighting a familiar face, even if he had never met them in person. The injuries inflicted by both parties left his mouth dry with pain in the back of his throat.

"How do you know he's Ain?" Knight asked.

He squinted at the blue haired man on the hologram screens created by Paradox. They were surrounded by four screens. It was like they were there where the fight had taken place. The fight was recorded by one of Paradox's drones, hidden discreetly between shrubs to be unnoticed by his friends. How could he be so close to them, yet couldn't touch them and let them know he was there?

Paradox noticed the knight's interest in the priest and smirked, "I've met enough of them to know it's him, even when his hair looks like toothpaste. They're all the same."

"Does that mean I'm the same?" Knight frowned.

"As much as I am to your Add."

There was no doubt in his mind he was talking to Add. His mannerisms remained reserved and offered little for Knight to work with. Past and future? Paradox kept his lips sealed, never offering more information than necessary.

But he wasn't Doom Bringer.

It wasn't fair when the time traveler held a gleam in his eyes and an all-knowing smile when Knight said something like he knew something the redhead didn't. He sometimes looked at Knight like he was talking to someone else, his eyes wavering into black scleras in angry flashes. Pieces erratically chipped off Paradox's body from time to time, threatening to pull the man apart. Knight was sure Paradox would crumble before the man forced himself together and bared sharp teeth as if in pain.

What happened to turn Paradox into what barely resembled humanity?

Ishtar shouted something to Chevalier with urgency from how tense her muscles were. Hands forming into fists and legs apart with a raised finger at Richter with betrayal reflecting off her eyes. Chevalier held her back with one arm and shook his head, whispering into her ear. Knight couldn't read their lips. Both turned to Richter dashing to them and crouched over with a blade piercing into Chevalier.

"Ciel, no!" Knight and Ishtar screamed.

Ishtar mirrored her companion in clutching over her chest. Jets of black ink beside Chevalier's red, seeping through her clothes under red lightning from the many moons. Ishtar growled, clenching her teeth and summoned an arsenal of spears. Reaching from her back, the former ruler extended her blades and pointed them at the priest. Pain and rage escaped from her lips as the forest was filled with light.

A powerful wind blew past them. Pulling Chevalier up with her shoulder used as support, blue fireflies appeared around the two. A hoard of spirits formed before them before she and Chevalier had them charge into Richter. Pebbles trembled to the spears crashing down, locking Richter's limbs into places and restricting the priest from further movement. The blue haired man looked at the former ruler with glassy eyes.

Ishtar stood over the priest and bit her lips when she looked over to Chevalier's physical state.

"Is this what you do with your friends?" Knight looked away.

"What are you talking about?" Paradox asked.

"Do you make them fight each other like this?"

"I don't have friends."

"You must have someone," Knight searched for weakness in the other's expression. His skin was like alabaster, dented with a pronounced facial lines from the permanent frown Paradox had if he wasn't laughing like a maniac.

"Do you mean the El Losers like yours?" Paradox leaned his head back. "Sure, if you want to call people that want to kill each other 'friends'."

Knight winced. Did he want to know what Paradox's team was like? He chose not to probe further. Talking about another El Search Party wasn't going to give him the information he needed to learn more about this man.

"Then why come to us?" Knight kept his voice even, "If we're all the same, then you wouldn't want to see us."

"You're smarter than the last one," he mused. "Pity you don't use that brain more often."

"Did you kidnap me so you could insult me?" Knight fumed.

"A wonderful idea, but there are stupider people I can choose for that." Paradox showed his teeth, "I was bored."

Bored.

This entire mess. Switching swords and making other teams see each other as the enemy. All because of one man? Knight looked at Paradox for clues of this being a joke, but the tall man only giggled for an answer. He had the power to manipulate time and this is what he used it for? For entertainment? It took Knight soothing himself with calming words to keep his mind clear. What could make a man use his powers for something so petty?

Even if Knight wasn't even sure what kind of history Paradox or Doom Bringer had, it couldn't have been a pleasant one if they chose the life of following the El Search Party. Their group attracted those with hard lives, those that seeked for something better than what they already had. Paradox held the same sad-eyed look Bringer had when he thought no one was looking. A longing gaze, one that thought about the what-if's many times until the sun rose. Knight once had the same look when he stayed up wondering if his father and sister would return from the war. He had his friends, but who did Paradox have? Bringer never spoke about having a family, so did that make Paradox the same?

"You're lonely," Knight realized.

He felt the grip around his body loosen as soon as those words left his lips. The chains shriveled, leaving Knight enough room to move his arms and pull himself out from its grip. Paradox's shoulders shook and staring past the bangs that fell over his face. Paradox let out a humorless laugh when he realized Knight was still there and was no longer bound into his spot.

"And people call me delusional," Paradox scoffed. "You have mistaken and are projecting yourself onto a person you barely know."

"You're still Add."

"If you want to compare me to a brute."

"Why are you so stubborn?" Knight groaned, "Doesn't it bother you watching people you know fight each other?"

He shrugged, "It happened in multiple dimensions. Your problems are nothing new to me."

"Why do you even have these powers?" Knight waved his hands, "The only person who can control time and space is Glave-"

"Don't speak of that man," Paradox hissed.

"Didn't he help you learn more about Henir?"

"Don't assume what happened in your dimension is the same as ours," the time traveler sneered. "Mention that man again and you won't learn what happens to your friends."

So there was something between him and Glave. Knight didn't recall Bringer having a relation with the gatekeeper beyond exchanging snide comments, but maybe things were more personal for Paradox. Things that made the time traveler uncomfortable to share with others and recoil with threats.

It was the first outward sign of frustration he had heard from Paradox since they first met. Tufts of hair stood up from his roots and his eyes flickered black with venom in his voice. His pale cheeks were patched with tinges of red, his lips curled down into a frown and a hardened expression.

"You said you wouldn't kill me." Knight looked at him in the eye, refusing to blink. His anger didn't scare Knight, but it was the raw emotions that caught him off guard. It was a contrast to the shy quiet persona he had in child form.

"I won't kill you, but I _can _keep you from dying." Paradox said with a Cheshire grin.

Knight had no doubt the man could do that. He was alive by a narrow margin because of Paradox's strange abilities.

His mannerisms and the way he talked wasn't any different than Glave's. He held up his head and held a coy smile when Knight thought he held the pieces to better understand the time traveler. Paradox was an enigma. His answers brought in more questions into wondering what kind of man twisted his body beyond recognition for abilities only gods dreamed of.

"Time… is unforgiving." Paradox said, "it moves on without waiting for you. I defied that and now I'm past the laws of time and space."

"Is that why you look like a child?" Knight thought about the man's unstable body, forever broken apart and forced back together. It was alien and was hardly what he considered to be living. There was fear, but mostly pity in the man's existence.

Paradox didn't answer.

"Are you keeping me here forever?" Knight asked.

"Don't be dramatic," Paradox rolled his eyes. "I'm just borrowing you for a few hours."

Knight pulled out Rune's sword from his bag and pointed it at the strange man that shared Bringer's face. "I need to get back to my friends. _Now._"

"Resorting back to brute force, how typical." Paradox snorted, "You do everything to save their sorry asses after so many times, only for them only create more problems right after. Don't you ever get tired of it all?"

"I need them."

"Or do they need you?" The man stretched his arms out to show bright colored gloves, "Placing all responsibilities on a child. They're as stupid as the ones from my universe."

"You don't know them," Knight snarled.

Knight didn't need the reminder of being a young leader. At first, it was by default because it was only him, Aether, and Daybreaker. As their party grew, the foolish headstrong leader grew into his armor and no longer struggled picking up the sword his sister left behind. It was only because of his friends and dumb luck that they were successful in making it this far. Did his friends really need him? Knight no longer lived in his sister's shadow, but he still felt like the child left behind Ruben by his father and sister to answer the call to war.

He didn't lower his blade. The red runes on the blade sparked in response to his El resonance, but he didn't strike. He saw Rune use it to summon flames in combination to the sword techniques both of them have learned from their sisters.

"I'm more than their leader," Knight said. "I'm their friend. What will it take for you to let me go?"

"Negotiating with a blade pointed at me. I guess you're more than talk." With a dark chuckle, Paradox folded his arms in with Dynamo flying around him in an uneven disarray. "How about you entertain me? We have all the time in the world."

_Ishtar _

A small figure appeared in the fog with her tail flicking to the side as the hairs at the back of her neck stood up. They were not home, but the former demon monarch recognized the familiar presence of demonic energy. It was like walking through the Sander swamps if each step dragged their footsteps further down until they were left without enough stamina to continue on without being devoured by leeches or demons. Luckily for Chevalier, Ishtar was one of the two. Aether was less than impressed when the butler suggested cooking them.

The longer they stayed in Demon Realm, the more accustomed the El Search Party was to fighting in the dark among demons. She had no doubt that this was their advantage. Rune's party was slower and unfamiliar with demon territory, struggling to keep up with them and clearly not used to the Dark El's presence. It took more effort for them to inflict damage on them.

Pain injected into her chest. Sharp ice traveled through her veins, fading in and out in succession. Her vision split into two before meeting at the center again as she blinked rapidly to the sound of his voice.

"Lu?" Chevalier's face came into view.

Gripping her wrist with a gloved hand, Ishtar winced with one eye shut with the other glancing at the blue-haired man. Chevalier mirrored her action with his eyes unfocused from the shared pain. Was it her or Chevalier? The visible gash on Chevalier's arm indicated the latter.

"So the brat could still fight," Ishtar breathed without humor.

Despite being covered in bandages and outnumbered, Richter could stand his ground. Tranquil rage pierced through his gaze with the celestial quick to read their movements. He and the opposite party had split their group into separate routes. They must have known this would be a challenging fight if they saw them as a threat.

Splitting power over two parties was good in reducing pain, but that meant sharing it and the additional complications that came with forming contracts with another person. The bond between Ishtar and the man she had grown to view as her equal was something that could not be described with the limited vocabulary in Elrian culture. It wasn't just physical pain they shared, but emotional bonds chained between the two. Her anger against Richter for breaking loose with accusations at them was felt by Chevalier and his frustration with the ongoing fight was shared by her.

"I'm sorry," Chevalier said with guilt, covering the gash on his chest with one hand. "I wasn't being careful."

Ishtar shook her head, already reaching for the potion in her pouch and bringing it to her friend. "Don't bear the guilt by yourself. Both of us have underestimated him."

Chevalier applied pressure to the injury with his hand over a torn piece of cloth, breathing heavy breathes as Ishtar administered the potion. A combination of the potion and being half-demon sped up the healing process, his muscles contracting in pain and forcing Chevalier to lower himself. His face turned pale as he tucked his head down and choked on his own saliva.

If only Bluhen was here, Ishtar breathed heavily in unison with the other. Medication of that dosage might have been too much for Chevalier. She placed her hand over his shoulders and did what she could to circulate her power over to alleviate the pain. Ishtar was better at taking in the pain than most humans were. Even if Chevalier was half-demon, she didn't want him to go through this alone.

She had Chevalier nibble on a Sander jerky while she unraveled a bandage roll and quickly patched him up. Ishtar would have offered him more, but she didn't want to run the risk of having Chevalier consume more than he could handle when they were freshly out of a battle. She took it as a good sign when the butler showed appetite and downed the dried meat with as much enthusiasm as one could for food of mysterious origin. It was a good thing that the dark elves offered them supplies and ration in the last stop. They were running out of medicine and provisions before Knight offered them peace.

"Good thing Raven packed these," Chevalier noted between bites.

"You enjoy eating that?" Ishtar let out a weak laugh, "Talking like this after you gave me a scare. You really are a child."

"Anything tastes great after that close call," he shrugged and shoved the rest of the Sander jerky in his mouth. "And I'm not a child."

Ishtar wiped a tear and turned her head to where their attacker laid. Spears pinned Richter down by the clothing hems, limbs spread out with an emotionless face staring up to the starlit sky. Long tangled hair sprawled on the grassy floor with the celestial's lips quivering and mouthing words of prayer in an extinct language humans no longer spoke.

"Don't speak of me as if I'm dead," Richter uttered.

"Don't talk as if you didn't try to kill Ciel!" Ishtar glared back.

"I did not intend to kill," the priest said with equal iciness.

It took every ounce of self-control not to stomp over and tell off Richter to swim with the mermaids. Ishtar felt Chevalier peering into the back of her head. His worrisome nature seeped into the back of her unconsciousness even as she struggled to push it away. Chevalier was such a mother hen when it involved her and their teammates. It was sweet, but bothersome when she wanted a clear mind. She threw a look at Chevalier to stop.

Blue light sparked from the celestial with no concern for his physical being, if Richter held the concept of being one. Daggers extended between his fingertips as the priest used them as projectiles with the skill that one could hope to achieve - not that Ishtar was subpar and couldn't keep up with him, hmph.

It was hard to believe the man was the same as Bluhen. His impulsive tactics ran the risk of injuring himself and others yet he head no fear for each strike he made against his opponents. Clean distinct movements from the priest's spears before light flashed from above.

Placing her palm over Chevalier's forehead, Ishtar managed a smile when she discovered that it was still warm. His breaths were shallow but at an even tempo. They were lucky that Richter inflicted shallow cuts just short of Chevalier's vital organs. With a few hours of rest, he was going to be okay.

Richter fought by concentrating and creating bursts of energy at the end of his spears, not too different from how Ishtar's methods. Having the technique deflected on them was a surprise Ishtar wasn't prepared for.

"If you're not trying to kill us, then what are you trying to achieve?" Ishtar demanded. "You were specifically targeting us when we had two additional teammates with us."

"As if I would give away my objective to demons," Richter sneered.

"You are not in a position to talk," Chevalier crouched over one knee in trying to get up despite the protesting pain. He used his gunblade as a makeshift crutch to push himself onto his feet and looked down at the celestial. "You're out of stamina and we have disarmed you. Do you not recognize us as your friends?"

"Sharing their faces doesn't make us friends," Richter said. "They are not friends, they are colleagues."

_How cold, _Ishtar thought. She already knew that Bluhen wasn't human - how could he be when the priest had unnatural stamina and possessed powers that were closer to those of a God than organic? Richter was more vocal about his distaste for demons, but the way he talked about his teammates reminded her of the demonic view of keeping one's allies at an arm's distance.

"Then tell us why you're going around with our friend's sword." Ishtar pulled the great sword from Richter's belt. Light and adept for battle, the piece of El sculpted in the handle glowed faintly when she held it up to catch Knight's scent mixed with ashes. It smelled recent. There was a fire involved.

"I know you don't like us," Chevalier said. "Rightfully so after you saw us taking your Elsword, but we need answers too. Where is ours? We may be demons, but we know where our loyalties lie once people have proven their worth. Let us win yours."

"I already said I don't know," he said. "I have not met him. He is not with the El Search Party."

Richter gave up wriggling under the pressure of multiple blades pressing against his skin. Emotionless in seeing doppelgangers of his teammates, he stared at Chevalier with lips tucked down into a permanent flat line. The expression was too much like Bluhen's when forced to hold a conversation with her or Chevalier, dulled facial lines edged with a hint of annoyance. For all the right reasons, Richter was not pleased in his position and being forced to comply with the enemy. His once pristine clothes turned to an ashen gray and his blue stole reduced to tatters.

"Yours?" Chevalier asked, "and the sword-"

"Lying on the floor," a strand of hair flipped to the left side of his face. Richter directed his gaze to Ishtar, "I don't give answers to demons. Elsword placed trust in you and you let him down by losing him."

"You lost your Elsword too! Ugh! What is your problem?" Ishtar groaned, "you're even worse than Ain!"

"I am Ain," he said.

"You know what I mean!" She shrieked.

"Lu," Chevalier rubbed his forehead. "You're making things worse."

"He's the one insulting us and we have to take it lying down?"

"You made me lie down," Richter said lying down.

Ishtar leered at the priest, questioning if this man was Bluhen's counterpart. Where were the cheeky comments and jabs that came with them? His blinks gave away confusion set with seriousness in his expression, thin lines forming around his facial features. Richter's pendulum was placed away from his reach, although that was more for show because Ishtar was sure he could manipulate the El without one.

_This was no good_, Ishtar sighed. It was better to let Chevalier talk things out with Richter before letting her anger get the better of her. Chevalier was good at letting people speak their minds and saying the right thing to ease their defenses. It was a skill not many possessed and she was grateful to have him by her side.

What she was now was a far cry from her reign as the Steel Queen, but that didn't mean Ishtar was safe from losing her patience to spoiled children like Richter. If she was her former cruel self, she would have forced Richter down on his knees, but that would have disappointed Chevalier and Ishtar promised to be a better person for him and for the El Search Party's sake. Bluhen at the very least knew when to keep his distance when pushing people too far. Richter was probing balloons with pin needles.

"It's true we lost Elsword, but we're doing what we can to get him back." Chevalier asked, "You must care about yours a lot to be fighting us."

"I made a promise to protect him," Richter said. "To lose him is to diminish my purpose. I did not sense demonic energy when I found the sword. What is Elsword doing with you?"

"It was his choice to come with us," Chevalier explained. "He said he would help us find our Elsword."

"Elsword… willingly joined?" Betrayal appeared on his features.

"I don't know the specifics, but Elesis thinks it's out of guilt." Ishtar added, "Rune looked okay when I last saw him."

"When did you find the sword?" Chevalier inspected Richter's state. His wounds were already closing at an increasing speed, bruises turning into a yellowish tone.

"Right before you interfered and took Elsword," annoyance came back into Richter's tone as soon as the topic moved away from Rune.

"They caught us with Rune as soon as we saw them with the sword," Ishtar thought aloud. "This is all well-placed."

Chevalier caught on quickly, "you think we have been manipulated?"

"It won't be the first time," she said with disapproval. Ishtar hovered over to snap her fingers, releasing the spears from holding Richter down. "We can't make you believe us, but I can promise you no harm will come to your Elsword."

"Do you have an idea who might be involved in this?" Chevalier asked.

She shook her head, "I'm not sure. It might not be someone we know."

Their reputation has been building up enough for demons to speak of them. It would not surprise Ishtar if Knight's kidnapper was someone of another world where news of their achievements have reached them. She needed time to think about who could be a culprit. This wasn't something they could solve by themselves.

"What do we do with him?" Chevalier gestured Richter.

"You can talk to your friends, can't you?" Ishtar asked.

"And if I do?" Richter turned his face away.

"I want you to pass the message about what we discussed." Ishtar elaborated, "If we can track Elsword's steps, we might find him and perhaps the culprit. We need everyone to work together so we can outnumber them."

"You sound like Elsword," Chevalier teased.

"Guess the kid rubbed off on me," she laughed.

Richter remained to lie on his back, eyelashes fluttering as the celestial's chest heaved up with quiet breaths. Clawing the grass with his hands, he rolled to the side and crawled on his fours. He pulled himself up and gasped when he discovered gashes forming over his skin, bright red painted over porcelain. Dried sweat and chapped lips and without his teammates, Richter looked lost. He looked at his gloves smeared with dirt and dried blood with dull eyes.

"You said Elsword is fine?" Richter asked.

"He's with Aisha, Chung, and the others." Ishtar confirmed, "You can talk to him when we meet up."

"Surprising that even demons have some sense," Richter uttered. A thin smirk formed on his lips to give little room for misinterpretation on his feelings about the demon duo. What an imprudent child. So rude!

Ishtar turned her head away from Richter so she could listen to Chevalier talk about a new recipe he discovered. The priest with hair the color of human toothpaste looked at them with uncertainty, holding a silent debate of how much he could trust them. Whether or not he could trust them, they shared a goal in finding their leaders and that was enough for Ishtar to let Richter follow them.

* * *

_Oz Sorcerer _

Oz was beginning to think the Demon Realm was nothing more than a field of spider lilies overcrowding fruit candy-colored grass. She saw no less than three carnivorous plants passing by after circling around the same trees dozens of times. Angkor stupidly flocked over to a budding plant in bat form before Oz pulled it away from being swallowed whole. It was already bad enough that Rune was pulled off his feet and kidnapped like a fairy tale princess. She did not want to spend her afternoon or whatever it was forcing man-sized plants to vomit Angkor back up.

The mist made it impossible to see beyond a few footsteps in front of her, leaving the dark mage tapping her foot and resting with an elbow over her staff with lowered eyelids. Oz had one hand in front of her face, feeling her way through the mist and using Angkor to see further. The demon bat squeaked and flew against the wind.

Almost immediately in front of her was Devi. Dressed in a cocktail dress with that ridiculous swallowtail reaching the floor, Oz was grateful that the older woman dressed in bright colors to make it easier to follow her. One foot placed over the other, Devi surveyed the dense fog, unaffected by its presence and kept her head high with piercing eyes. She ran a gloved finger over the trees and sniffed them, canines peering from her lips with a thoughtful expression.

"Are you sure they're here?" Oz peeked over Devi's bare shoulders, "I don't see them."

"No doubt about it," Devi lifted her head up. There was no trace of doubt in the martial artist's voice and posture. "They must have picked up something good."

"You mean Elsword?" Oz asked.

"Not him, but I can smell four people." Timoria said from behind, "You smell it too, right Ciel?"

"You're the one who can do that, not me." Abysser laughed.

"They are close," Devi pointed at the set of footprints in front of her. They were fresh. "Eun senses them too."

How come she got stuck with the crazy girl and two demons? Oz ignored Angkor tugging her hat for attention and lowered her hat to cover her eyes. Not that she was lacking in confidence or any of that, but being outpaced by three people with supernatural senses was annoying. But still, if that was what it would take to track down Rune's kidnappers, she couldn't complain. These were the same three people that made it possible for their survival in Demon Realm. Timoria was familiar with demons and knew how to talk to them without the risk of angering them. Abysser knew how to survive in the harsh climate with his knowledge in culinary arts and in herbs. Devi had inhuman strength and her… pig-headedness.

Lady Luck was by their side for them to catch the other El Search Party walking through the forest with hushed voices. If Oz's teammates had strange clothing choices, the opposite had it worse. All but one team member were dressed in white, which was easy to spot even among the mist. Oz spied Dominator's counterpart as part of the group and a gray-haired man dressed in an oversized coat. She heard someone call him Ain earlier. Rune wasn't with them, but Oz knew they could lead them back to the red-haired boy. Their Chung and Elesis were dressed differently than Phantom and Flame. Oz was unsure what to make out of that minor detail but hoped that it didn't lead to a rougher fight.

"Where are they?" Oz strained her eyes past the trees in search of four human-shaped figures.

Steep mountains came into view, rising past the clouds as the fog lifted from the ground. The place smelled of dried pine trees and gravel. Grass became bare and the floor turned dark and damp from the rain the night before - or was that morning? It was difficult for Oz to understand the day and night cycle in the territory so different from Elrios'. Each of the moons in Demon Realm rotated in different angles and sometimes they appeared in the sky with one of the suns. Oz stopped when she saw the endless darkness below her feet and stepped back with panic. Angkor pulled on the back of her skirt to stop her from falling.

When Oz found her footing and turned to face her teammates, Devi's hair flared and her spear was held up in offense. She saw Timoria and Abysser ready their weapons in her peripheral vision. A white-haired man in a coat pulled over his shoulders was covered in tattoos with sparks flying out of six weapons with pointed ends.

"Following us all the way here?" Doom Bringer cracked his knuckles, "you really are stupid."

Without the fog, Oz saw that they were at the entrance of a crystal cavern. Demonic energy radiated from the interiors and her first thought was to scream at her teammates not to go. She heard cries and shrieks coming from the inside. Those demons felt stronger than the ones they encountered earlier. Were these the ones that took Rune away?

Behind Bringer were three familiar faces. They stood at the edge of the pit with Bringer covering his left eye and baring his teeth in a wide grin, holding back laughter to the sight of their odd four-man team. It was strange to see the Nasod reliant scientist wear so much black when Dominator expressed offense to the suggestion of wearing anything other than white and purple. Oz almost didn't notice him until he spoke up because he blended in so well with the purple crystals growing from the cavern's opening.

"You're making us sound like criminals," Empire Sword chided the brawler. A woman in red, she wore her hair into a high ponytail and sported high iron-clad boots. She wielded her claymore and had a serious expression in contrast to Flame Lord's.

"As if what we're doing doesn't make us suspicious," Bringer snorted.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Bluhen smiled. It was bizarre to see an emotion Ain's face other than solemn or mildly content. What a strange reaction to being confronted by enemies.

"As a matter of fact, there is." Devi's lips curled into a smirk, "you know where Elsword is."

"So what if we do?" Bringer taunted them, "What are you going to do about that?"

"Rune spoke about you," Empire's eyes fell over the flattering black dress covering the older woman's curves. There was confusion in her face and unnatural hesitance in the once confident knight. Her voice faltered ever so slightly when they made eye contact, "Are you Ara?"

"My friends call me that," Devi giggled a girlish laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. "But you can call me Devi."

What was Devi trying to pull? Oz threw a dirty look at Devi and mouthed her to hurry up with the talk, but her signals went unnoticed. Ugh, they were supposed to intimidate the other El Search Party, not seduce them. Devi was caught up talking to the woman that looked so much like Flame and smiling when Empire lost her composure mid-sentence.

"We're... not looking for a fight," Empire said unconvincingly.

"What if that's why we're here?" Devi pursed her lips into a feigned pout and hugged her spear, "Surely you can make time for us together, can't you?"

"Is it your intention to lead us to the demons?" Oz shoved her to the side and forced herself into the conversation. She did not have time for this.

"You noticed," a blond man in white-armor nodded with approval. Crusader said, "Ain felt something in there and thinks Elsword might be there."

Oz directed her scowl to Crusader and questioned the validity of his statement, searching for a brow out of place or holding out his stern expression longer than necessary. Why was it that Rune came back but the other Elsword had gone missing? Were they suggesting Knight was stupid enough to wander into a demon-infested cave by himself or was kidnapped by demons? Angkor whispered into her ear earlier about this place. Demons called it Shadow Vein. The cavern contained energy similar to that of the Dark El and housed demons that made the ones invading Velder look like children.

"So you're keeping ours hostage until you find yours?" Abysser asked.

"I know it looks bad, but that's not what we're doing." Crusader turned pink.

"Then what is it?" Devi asked. "A replacement for the one you lost?"

"It's not like that!" Empire snapped.

Empire kept her body lowered, moving backward and keeping her distance from Devi with her back hunched over. Her posture and legwork were akin to Furious Blade, keeping her legs apart for balance and letting herself stay at an arm's length from the enemy. She crossed her legs over to the left when Devi moved towards her, forming a circle and away from the martial artist. Muscles tensed with claymore over her shoulder, Empire's eyes did not leave Devi. Empire bit the bottom of her lips and her shoulders shook in a silent rage.

"Elsword cannot be replaced," Bluhen agreed. "But I can attest that Rune had agreed to help us find Elsword and this is the place he suggested."

"Yet you kept him away with the other group," Timoria noted.

Bringer said, "if he's anything like Elbrat, he'll start feeling sorry for demons and surrender himself to them."

"His kindness is the only reason why you're here," Bluhen directed his words to Bringer with a forced smile.

Oz looked between the two men and winced. This was worse than watching Dominator explain to Richter the purpose of sarcasm after half of the scientist's remarks flew over the priest's head. Bringer's cheeks turned pink and mumbled an excuse, something about idiot redheads and impulsiveness. She could sympathize with that.

Pebbles elevated from the ground. Dust scattered around Oz's feet in correspondence to the sound of high heeled shoes sliding over the stoned surface. Sprinting with her dress tucked around her legs, Devi leaped into the air with her spear over her head. Amber light engulfed Devi as she channeled high levels of energy from her palms. She twirled her weapon, grasping the handle with both hands and swinging it from below.

Empire leaped back, clawing the floor with one hand. It was enough time for her to catch her breath before dashing forward with a battle cry. Sparks rained from her blade as she made contact and blocked Devi's attack. Red braids flicked to the side of her face with the rest of her ponytail. She pulled Devi down with her boots and used her claymore to press her weight against the older woman.

"What was that?" Devi cackled, "I expected more from you! Don't be shy, I'm eager to see more of you!"

Devi's hair fanned down her back. Her feet pranced against the rough cavern's surface with the familiarity of a swordsman and his blade. She lifted herself off the ground with her spear and performed a backflip, pulling her weight and creating friction in blocking Empire's attack from above. Devi pushed her leg back and bared a wide grin.

Empire withdrew back and lowered her body to knock Devi off her feet and brought her to the floor. Crimson marked over her armor, trickling down the red knight's forearm and staining her gauntlets in blood. She kept her weight back and leaned over Devi with an ire expression. Her claymore was gingerly placed at Devi's chin with heavy breathes.

"I already told you," Empire said. "Elsword is safe!"

"No doubt about that," Devi caressed the side of Empire's face with tenderness reserved for Flame. "Ele would never let harm come to him. I came here to see you."

"I'm not your Elesis," Empire glowered. "We don't have to fight."

"Too late to say that when you put your blade over me. You were prepared for a fight and took the time to gather your strongest teammates." Devi looked at the team of four and laughed without humor. "They won't even listen to each other."

"This guy disagrees with everything I say!" Bringer glared at Bluhen.

"It's hard to work with someone who's ancient and doesn't listen," Bluhen let out an exasperated sigh but laughed.

"What did you call me?" Bringer growled.

"Not now, guys!" Crusader shook his head, "We still need to find Elsword!"

Crusader locked Bringer's arms from behind to stop the brawler from trying to punch Bluhen. Bringer let out a stream of curses at the guardian of Hamel while Bluhen snickered. Without an apparent leader, the entire set up was nothing less than chaotic. Oz couldn't believe she and the others were dreading this fight after extensive planning. This battle was going to be a cinch! Angkor giggled beside her as if it sensed their advantage.

Energy orbs formed around Devi and her eyes flickered red. She pulled her body lower and pulled on the claymore, tossing it in the air and smirked at the look of shock on Empire's face.

"How can you find Elsword if you can't even work together? We'll help you find the boy." Devi added with a sly smile, "if you can defeat us as a team. Show me what a leader looks like."

Not that Oz understood Devi's fascination in meeting Empire, but she had played with the idea of meeting the rest of the El Search Party's counterparts when Dominator explained the concept of alternate universes. She mused that if she was to meet Knight, she would have had high expectations for him too because he was Rune's alternate. Rune acted like a knucklehead, but he had a perpetual intuition that made it possible to come this far into their journey without casualties. Oz couldn't help but be curious about whether that was the same for Knight if his teammates made this much effort to retrieve him.

Empire sighed and readied her blade, "Very well. As a knight, I won't deny a challenge. You'll keep your word?"

"I can promise you that this will be more than a petty sparring match." Devi let out a soft chuckle and her hair turned snow white. Streaks of white formed into a furry of tails behind Devi with red eyes matching Empire's. "Show me why the knights chose you."

* * *

**Author Notes:** Thank you dez. for always beta reading my stuff and screaming at me as our favorite trash messes with the cute mc. MP is *chef kisses*. Will KE ever stop getting bullied? Maybe. Chapters will be released slowly because life and responsibilities are keeping me occupied. Thank you for being so patient. Please leave comments because they help motivate me to write. I love reading everyone's reactions and you have no idea how much it helped me decide to continue writing this series.


	8. Incoordination

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 9,081

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 08: **_**_Incoordination_**

* * *

_Anemos_

True to the El Master's words, Demon Realm was a mirror to their world in a sense that she could identify some of its inhabitants as distant relatives to their Elrian counterparts. The deer-like creatures had multiple eyes, but aside from that, they ran off startled when she approached too close for comfort. Nights outlasted the days in this part of the strange new territory, the rain was plentiful. Trees and shrubs overshadowed Anemos and glimmered in the dark in colors she didn't know existed. These creatures weren't surviving, but _thriving_ in a world absent of the El.

The elven elders once spoke of this place when she was a curious child, eager to learn more about the world beyond her village. They whispered about a world that lacked the same resources they relied on, where the sun barely reached their inhabitants and it was a fight between the strong and the weak. It was true that Demon Realm was harsher than what she was used to. Without the goddess's influence, Anemos had to use all of her abilities and experiences to avoid losing blood.

Anemos played with a stray strand of hair, wrung her hand over the communicator tucked behind her ear. She replayed a message she had received shortly after she had found Dominator lying on the ground. It was a brief message from Richter whispering,

"Come here… fighting has deceased."

A map appeared through holographic projectors installed into the communicators. Red and blue lines formed around the landmasses with stars marked to indicate the landmarks scattered across the region. The first half of the map was covered in shady trees and narrow streams between the iron mountains. The second half was obscured in dark clouds, overshadowed by a name written in Elrian.

"Varnimyr," Anemos examined the map. "Is that what this place is called?"

"You're going to listen to Toothpaste?" Dominator peeked from behind. The scientist walked with a limp from his fight with Esencia, dragging his right foot but was otherwise well enough to talk and make comments about their teammate with a smirk.

"Do you have a different plan in mind?" She looked at Dominator with scrutiny, "I haven't heard from Raven since he took off after the other Ara and I can't imagine Ain winning a fight by himself."

"I'm sure he'll talk his head off with those demons," Dominator chuckled despite Anemos rolling her eyes. "Don't you think this can be a trap? They're trying to lure us out when we let our guard down."

That couldn't be right, Anemos shook her head. Fear and anger were absent from Richter when he contacted them, keeping his voice low with his words flowing close together. Embarrassment? Shame? It was difficult to tell without seeing his face to gauge the intent behind his message. Anemos had known the priest long enough to understand that something was on Richter's mind. She sensed hesitation when Richter spoke. Words were hard to come by for Richter, a sentiment Anemos shared because there were many words in the elven language that could not be translated into Elrian for equal measure.

Anemos found it pointless to have the two El Search Parties argue over the disappearances of their leaders, but that didn't mean she was one to avoid a fight if the opposing initiated, which was often the case throughout their journey. If the alternate El Search Party truly wanted to take them down, pulling them together would be counterproductive. It would be easier to defeat them by dividing them and targeting their weak points. She was sure the other party had considered them sharing similar weaknesses as their counterparts.

"Even if this was a trap, we already lost Elsword." Anemos said, "I'm not losing another friend."

Dominator dropped his smile and forced a more somber expression. The scientist averted his eyes and pursed his lips, mumbling an apology. He pushed Apocalypse away when the cat cube saw its master frowning and ordered its dismissal. The destructive weapon meowed in protest, but scattered into smaller blocks and disappeared. Dominator ordered Dynamo to run scans and signaled Anemos to keep walking.

It was those eyes again. They were the same ones their friends all shared - some of them more obvious than others. Ones of pain and regret about something from a distant past catching up to them and nipping them by the ankles. For all of his dramatics, Dominator was a child even by human standards. Something struck a chord in Anemos when Dominator once casually remarked with a cheerful smile that he was used to scars. It was troubling to see the scientist express confusion when Anemos offered to help him tend to his wounds.

"You said Raven was with the fox?" Dominator deepened his frown, rubbing his chin in thought. Dynamo flashed and ushered the white-haired man to a set of charts and codes outlining them. He let the machine whirr in the background as he followed Anemos deeper into the woods. Dominator glared past her shoulders and ordered Dynamo to line up and set up installs.

There was a young woman in white. Dried blood smeared at the edge of Apsara's clothes, forming a dark crust around her sleeves. The tassels on her sleeves and waist became ragged and clung together from sweat and worn use. Apsara used her scarf as a makeshift bandage by wrapping it around her right arm. She waved for them to wait. Apsara ran with her arms tucked in and lifted the back of her dress to avoid falling over. She stopped to catch her breath when she caught up to them.

"I didn't think," Apsara gasped. "You were still here. Mr. Blade said you might be meeting up with everyone."

Mr. Blade? Ah, she must be referring to the former member of the Crow Mercenary Knights. It sounded like Blade received Richter's message as well. Who else did Richter contact in the short span of time between the time Anemos found Dominator until now?

"Where is he?" Dominator scanned for the older man. "What did you do to him?"

"Do to him?" Apsara frantically shook her head and waved her hands, "It's not like that! He told me to go ahead because he saw Ms. Eve and… eep!"

Pushing too much of her weight onto her knees, Apsara lost her balance and tipped over. She stuck out one leg to the side and landed on her stomach before falling head first into the ground.

Anemos went to check on the other woman and winced when she saw reopened wounds. Apsara rolled to her side and hugged her knees with tears running down her pink face.

"Are you okay?" Anemos offered a hand.

Flustered, Apsara wiped her tears and nodded. Anemos pulled her up and ushered Dominator to help. His baffled expression reflected what was on the elf woman's mind, but this wasn't about them. She understood Dominator's distrust, but neither of them was in a good position to continue fighting without depleting their supplies. If they wanted to make peaceful terms with the opposing team to keep the fighting to a minimum, that meant cooperating before they could find Richter and get a proper explanation from the priest.

They moved Apsara to a safer place, away from the poisonous plants and worn down the path where demons commonly tread. Anemos used a bit of the ointment she made from the plants she found and applied them over Apsara's reopened wounds.

"This might sting," Anemos warned her.

"Thank you very much!" Apsara bowed her head into a ninety-degree angle, "I'm sorry!"

"It's just a fall," Dominator said in disbelief. "Why do you come to us when we're the enemy?"

"I thought you can't be all that bad if you didn't try to kill me yet." Apsara sniffed, "I saw Ms. Rena and thought everything would be okay because she's always kind and patient. It's my fault you're taking the time to help me after Blade already helped me."

That was… one way to look at things. An optimistic outlook, but one that touched Anemos's heart. So the other Rena was kind and patient. Huh… She'll have to meet her and see if Apsara's claims were true. It was the first time they had an opponent come to them without trying to lash out at them when words were no use. This was Ara? Anemos smiled to hide the confusion clouding her mind. She was better at doing that than some of her younger friends.

"So Raven shows his true colors," Dominator grumbled.

"Your friend didn't tell you what happened?" She was confused. "I thought he contacted you."

"Toothpaste?" Dominator scoffed, "He sent us a cryptic note telling us what to do."

"He didn't go into detail what happened," Anemos explained.

"Oh…" Apsara frowned. The long strand of hair hanging from her hairline drooped. She wiggled her fingers to test the new bandage on her hand. "Lu and Ciel told me your friend agreed to work with them to find Elsword - ours, I mean."

"Your Elsword, our Elsword. Would you be offended if we stuck to nicknames instead? These names are getting confusing." Dominator complained.

"It was your idea to bring us here," Anemos reminded him.

"Did you have something else in mind?" He twitched, "excuse me, but none of us can travel through dimensions at free will! And this _is_ Demon Realm, so my calculations weren't completely off!"

Demon Realm was already occupied by alternate versions of themselves. What did that tell them? How long did Apsara's group stay in the Demon Realm and how much did it predict the outcome for their group? Anemos wasn't one to delve into the future as much as humans sometimes did, but she felt it was her duty to help restore the El because of its importance for all Elrian races including hers.

Does this mean they went into the wrong dimension if they encountered themselves? Anemos didn't ask whether Dominator had a plan on getting back, but she was sure it was a recurring thought for the scientist from the increased amount of time he spent in front of the screen as of lately. Dominator snickered and talked about data collection, but she could see frustration behind the facade. This wasn't supposed to happen and now they were wasting time looking for an eighteen-year-old that wasn't even from their original group.

"Why are you here?" Anemos asked Apsara, "are you here because of the Dark El too?"

Apsara nodded.

"Lu and Ciel called and Blade heard from your friend, so we were together." Apsara pressed her hands together, "We found Eve and Blade said it must have been Add..."

"He knows me so well," Dominator chuckled.

Anemos shushed the scientist and gestured to Apsara to continue.

"I offered to help, but Blade told me to go ahead and find you two." She said, "he told me he would catch up to us later with Eve."

"How kind of him to do the heavy lifting," Dominator laughed.

"You left her there because you knew he would come back, didn't you?" Anemos deadpanned.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dominator grinned.

_Liar. _

Anemos had no doubt Blade had the strength to carry a humanoid sized Nasod across Demon Realm, but wondered if the mercenary received the same message as she and Dominator did. Richter had left them a vague report with more questions than answers. If Apsara could be believed, then they may have just gained new allies that could help them find a way back to their dimension.

"May I ask where Rune is?" Anemos asked. "It's not that we don't trust you, but I think it's fair that we know where our friend went."

"Right!" Apsara smiled, "I think he's with Aisha and Rena last time I heard from them!"

"Last time?" Dominator noted the wording.

"Our Add said communication is slightly delayed in Demon Realm than in Elrios," She let out a nervous laugh, "it's funny thinking that there are two of you now!"

Dominator snorted, "I'm sure it is."

"Will we be seeing that group soon?" Anemos asked.

"Mm!" Apsara nodded, "they're on their way. It sounded like they found something big!"

"The other Elbrat?" Dominator asked.

"Maybe!" Apsara beamed.

Apsara had a bandage placed over her forehead to cover the bruise where she fell over. She sat with her legs tucked to the side with her knees on the ground. Next to Dominator brooding about his miscalculations, Apsara was blinding with her innocent questions and naive optimism. She and Richter would have Dominator running for his money to explain what sarcasm was.

Anemos decided that Devi's counterpart was strange. She searched for an ulterior behind the woman's cheery disposition, but it was hard to see anything past that when Apsara was always moving and asking them more questions about themselves. Anemos saw Dominator staring at Devi's alternate too.

"Did I say something wrong?" Apsara stopped smiling when she felt their stares, "Is there something on my face?"

"You're... not what I expected," Dominator said and averted his eyes. "Let's get going. No need to waste time if everyone else is on the move. Just don't fall on your face again and you'll be okay."

"Wow, he really is Add." Apsara was amazed.

"They're the same?" Anemos was curious.

"Oh no, they're very different!" She laughed, "yours talks more!"

* * *

_Doom Bringer_

Bringer sneezed.

Despite the warnings and preparations based on the El Masters' precautions, Demon Realm was colder than what he was prepared for. Their nights were almost as cold as Hamel's mild winters. Bringer couldn't always rely on Dynamo's heater as they were straying further from the El's influence.

He tugged on his sleeves and wrapped the fur coat closer around his body. Electricity circulated through his body and sent his blood pumping with adrenaline, a feeling that sent the brawler into a frenzy. The black markings implanted in his arms glowed in unison to the rest of his body engulfed by plasma and electricity. He had never felt more alive.

Bringer looked at the woman who declared herself as Devi. There was something dangerous about the woman. She looked like Apsara, but Dynamo gave him different readings in her El resonance. It was as if she was a different person because he was getting higher readings in magic from her than he would have for Apsara. Devi placed her weight inward and walked with stride. Her voice cut through the thin air like the sharp spear she wielded, a noble woman's laughter contradicting her crude smile. Devi saw past Bringer, for she had her eyes on one target.

"Elesis!" Devi screamed Empire's name.

Devi flew over his head with her spear in hand. The martial artist landed on her feet and blocked Empire's blade with her weapon's handle, pushing the Velder knight's claymore away and stopping her attacks. The marks on her cheeks burned red as her eyes. Devi's spear danced across, an elaborate dance as she twirled and the sound of blades clashed.

Every time they attempted to take one step, they were met with someone ready to object to them. This time, it was fighting their alternate selves and Glave was nowhere to be seen. Bringer suspected it was his doing. It sounded like something Glave would do when the administer of Henir's Time and Space held no qualms about making them relive fights with old enemies for entertainment. Who else would have the power to bring over a large number of people from different dimensions? He smelled a rat in all of this.

"Ara!" Empire slammed her foot on the ground and kept her stance. Her eyes didn't leave Devi and barked, "Add, what are you waiting for? Help Ain and Chung!"

"As if I'm interested in dealing with crazy," Bringer scowled. He didn't enjoy being bossed around by the brat's sister. It was bad enough getting ordered by an illiterate child all the time and now the idiot had gone missing!

Raised in the army at a young age, Empire was sculpted into the ideal leader and remembered an old lesson in making use of one's resources. She kept them together as a group and made use of their abilities by having Bringer run scans for Knight's possible whereabouts. Bluhen claimed he was sensitive in detecting El resonance as Knight was, so she let him come along. Their group was past the point of referring to Bluhen as a priest, but the annoying green man kept up with the charades and spoke about his Goddess. Bringer couldn't understand why Knight saw him as a close friend. It was infuriating listening to Bluhen speak as if he was hundreds of years old.

It was a combination of Dynamo and Bluhen's ability to detect El resonance that brought them back to the entrance of a mysterious cavern brimming with demonic activity. Demon Realm was naturally going to have high levels of demonic energy and activity, but Bringer's readings showed a high density of demons occupying the area. They weren't high enough to suggest levels of aggression, but he wasn't going to let that slip without further analysis. The El Search Party better be grateful for his extra efforts!

There were indications of active levels of El resonance escalating from within the cavern that was likely created by Knight himself. El resonance users frequently left imprints behind when they used tremendous amounts of energy. It was like leaving footprints behind and could be used to trace back the location of its user. Assuming Knight didn't stray far from where Dynamo picked up his activity, it shouldn't be difficult to locate the brat, especially when demons didn't naturally use El resonance.

Finding Bluhen wasn't hard. Gold light showered from above, flickering and lighting up the skies like fireworks. Bluhen hovered overhead, his body nearly swallowed by green energy encircling around him. Extracting energy from the ground, Bluhen let them float before having them explode as they crashed down. He formed dense energy balls inside his palms before using it to push himself away from the resisting winds.

The pendulum hooked around his index finger as Bluhen weaved through the flames and was pursued by two figures in blue - a man and a young girl. The man sported a cap over his white hair and wielded dagger knives inside an oversized coat. A girl landed on her feet beside him, wearing matching outfits of a cap, jacket, and a collared shirt with a black tie tucked under. What was this, take your child to work day?

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Bringer asked. He ordered Dynamo to shift themselves into two disks beneath his feet to support his weight.

"Judging by the uncool hair and the way you look at me, you must be Add." Abysser grinned, "I don't suppose you plan on handing Elsword over to us so we can be off and on our way?"

"I'm afraid not, Demon." Bluhen fluttered his eyes opened and smiled. "Ms. Knight Captain gave her orders and Elsword made his decision to stay with us."

Bringer growled.

What's wrong with his hair? As if Abysser could talk when the asshole had bobby pins in his hair! He punched his hand into a tight fist and cracked his knuckles. Bringer planted his first into the ground and cracked it open, sending vibrations through the stoned earth and sent sparks flying from his body.

Those two were Lu and Ciel? Bringer searched for familiar traits in the man and the child. He recognized Timoria for the same toothy grin she used to mock him and when stealing his stuff, but Abysser was unrecognizable when he wore the ridiculous hat. Timoria was shorter than he remembered.

"You must be Ain," Timoria said with an equally forced smile. "I was wondering when you would show up."

Abysser brandished one hand over his gunblade, a smaller and thinner version of the one Chevalier had. Nodding his head towards Timoria, the demon propelled himself, firing bullets at Bringer. He landed on his feet and recoiled when Bringer blocked the bullets with Dynamo and sent jolts of electricity to the butler.

Plasma coated over Bringer's body, static and electricity running through his veins and tingling over his fingertips. The brawler placed his feet over Dynamo and flew over to Abysser to deliver a kick over the demon's left shoulder blade. Lines of chains emerged from the soil up. They chained Bringer by the feet and forced the brawler down to his knees. When he was down, they went for his wrists and resisted the electric currents created by his Nasod Armor.

A shadowed demon appeared behind Timoria. She ordered the demon to extend its claws as it emitted blue fire, but its path was halted by Bluhen forming rings of line around the creature and forcing it to disperse. Light poured from Bluhen and rained down on Timoria and Abysser. The shackled chains weakened and Bringer broke free, forming his hands into fists and fired pulse cannons at the two demons.

Bringer's lips curled up as he kicked the ground and increased his speed, ecstatic in finding a new opponent with abilities he had yet to experience. They looked like Ishtar and Chevalier, yet their powers were drawn from a different source and utilized them for different purposes. A battle with them could provide sufficient data for later analysis! This was a mere fight to add to his database and increase his efficiency in battle. Bringer's laughter erupted into a cackle. His eyes widened and his chest heaved as the brawler clawed the gravel with his hands and crawled back up. Sweat evaporated from his pores as he joined his opponents in an elaborate waltz and demanded more.

"Is that all you got?" Bringer laughed, "You're pathetic!"

He had Dynamo record all of his fights to expand his database, but Bringer held the habit of making mental notes as he went through the flow of battle. It was in his nature to search for strengths and weaknesses in himself and from his opponents even as he let his Nasod Armor guide him and form punches at his opponents. Dark energy exploded from Abysser, holding dagger knives between his knuckles and using them as projectiles. Bringer puffed his chest and deflected the knives with his Nasod Armor, sending them pointing back to Abysser with bared canines.

"Supreme Punishment!"

Portals opened from the skyline. Multiple rifts expanded as Abysser and Timoria posed for a wave of demons to loom from the skies. They shrieked in unison to the demon duo summoning darkness from within and exploded. Blue flames showered down on Bringer and Bluhen.

Light blinded the cavern entrance and burned through his retina. Red flashed behind Bluhen before the priest spun his pendulum and light formed at the end of his weapon. Embedding the ground with a touch of his hand, he teleported away from Timoria and Abysser. Energy surfaced from below as he inflicted damage with waves of projectiles raining down onto the two demons.

"You can heal on command?" Timoria groaned, "Now you're just playing with us!"

"We need to end this quickly," Bluhen reminded the brawler. His eyes were lured over to the cavern's entrance with uncharacteristic wariness. "Avoid coming too close."

"Wasn't it your idea to look for the brat inside?" Bringer scowled.

"There's something powerful inside," Bluhen was pale. "It has high levels of demonic energy. It's going to find us."

"And leave like cowards?" Bringer scowled.

"No," Bluhen hissed. "Retreat. We need more people."

"We don't even know if he's still in there," Bringer said. "He could be elsewhere and coming here was a waste of time."

Bluhen should have told them earlier if he was planning to chicken out at the last minute. Where did the sudden hesitancy come from? Coming here to find Knight was the first objective, but luring out the opposing El Search Party to learn about their intentions was their second one.

It was cumbersome being the only one in their group to use their brain, let alone have enough _sense_ to question things beyond what was given at the surface level. Bringing the entire party to a demon's den was suicide if they weren't certain if Knight was still there. What was stopping demons from moving their teammate to a new location? Bringer was able to form a map to where Knight could have been, but they were distant dots held together by traces of readings picked up by Dynamo. There was a slight delay in those readings and could change at a moment's notice.

Electricity generated from within Bringer. Static made his hair stand up at its ends as electricity pulsated through his body. Charging from above, he concentrated the electricity into his fists and punched Abysser. He launched the demon into the air and fired particle shots from Dynamo.

Abysser fell. He dragged one of his many knives across the side of the cavern to break his fall. Abysser loosened his grip and collapsed, landing on his knees with his arms out to avoid falling face down. He grunted and had blood masked over his eyes. The blue cap he sported was soiled with dried blood and clay.

Blue flames burst from the seams of Abysser's clothes, forming into the shape of a demon from the dark. Its eyes flared with the same sharpness in Abysser's features, hissing and bearing a smile.

"What are you doing?" Mild panic edged in Bluhen's voice.

"I'm ending this," Bringer grinned.

"You're ignoring my signals," Bluhen lowered his eyelids. "We need to withdraw."

"You said you wanted to make this quick," Bringer growled.

"You're making me waste my energy on you," he said.

"I didn't ask you to help me!" Bringer glowered.

"Is that how you thank your healer?" Bluhen asked. His skin, hair, and face were porcelain white. Wings emerged from the back of his spine, enveloping the rest of his body in an aura and glowed green.

Bluhen avoided looking at the brawler. Vibrant colors danced around the priest as an array of symbols. The blue fire reached the priest and engulfed him in a sea of smoke and flames. A yellow aura outlined Bluhen's figure, expanding from within until the forest was blinded by light. When the light faded away, Bluhen was free of bruises and blemishes. He attacked, untouched by Abysser's flames.

Bringer yelped when the flames approached him. Cuts and bruises remained on the brawler and his muscles ached when he moved. Heat traveled under his skin, his Nasod Armor demanding more cooling, more energy, more data. Bring had reached his limit. Why was he still injured? He glared at Bluhen.

"Why aren't you covering me?" Bringer demanded to know.

"You said you didn't need my help, _Mr. Ancient._" The damned priest replied.

"We're in the middle of a fight!"

"And you don't know how to treat your healer," Bluhen said.

"What do you want me to do?" Bringer asked, "Go down on my knees and say sorry while we get our asses kicked?"

"Ciel, now!" Timoria summoned a new demon for assistance.

"Ready when you are," Abysser pulled out his gunblade.

The summoned demon materialized from Timoria. Its flames mirrored those to Abysser's and flared in intense shades of blue. Fire consumed the trees and followed after Bluhen and Bringer despite the two splitting paths. It transformed back into the shape of a demon and raised its claws.

Bringer compressed the energy around him to generate an electromagnetic field. He jumped onto Dynamo and narrowly stepped to the left to avoid being consumed by the summoned demon's attack. A dark shadow loomed over the brawler. Bringer saw the summoned demon and called out to Dynamo. Electric currents roared inside his head before something sharp passed through his abdominals.

_Fuck. _

* * *

_Knight Emperor_

The sky cracked open like a winter melon. Fragments fell from the edges of Paradox's portals, crystal-like borders exploding and exerting gravity outward. Knight caught sight of four tails flickering with an outline of Paradox's figure and followed after him. Violet chains dangling down the time traveler's back and appeared to have more functions than the ones Bringer had. Knight rubbed his wrists to where the tails had held him down.

He didn't understand the time traveler's intentions. It was a game of cat and mouse with Paradox leading the way. Paradox weaved in and out each room with a wild grin, leaving the portals opening long enough for Knight to slip through before it closed behind him. Knight had no choice but to follow the time traveler, afraid of being left behind in the cavern he was kept captive in.

"You're lagging behind," Paradox spun around to face Knight cutting through a group of soul eaters. The time traveler opened another portal and sang, "you need to be faster if you want to catch up to your friends~"

There was no end to the eternal rooms and narrow corridors inhabited by demons. Small beady eyes trailed behind them, the sound of tails and claws scratching against the cool floor. Knight blocked an attack from a shadow driller charging for him headfirst. Thorns shot out from its spine and curled its body against Knight, changing directions to find its prey. It screamed to Knight slicing the rune sword down from the middle. Jet black blood shot out from the high pressure.

Knight stabbed a shadow guard attacking from behind. He saw a portal open and shoved the demon aside, reaching one arm through a portal and stumbled over. The demons' cries faded from behind as the portal sealed itself. It was a deafening sound of shattered glass for each time a portal was formed and sealed by Paradox.

Blood pounded inside his head. Knight searched for a place to find his footing. He stepped into shallow pools of what he hoped was water. His throat went dry when Paradox was nowhere to be seen. Knight gripped his blade, his eyes wandering in search for the time traveler.

Finding Paradox left an unsettled feeling at the bottom of his stomach. Knight wasn't sure of what to take from his brief but poignant interactions with Bringer's counterpart. Being next to Paradox gave the red knight headaches from how quickly he jumped from one topic to the next. Laughter rang inside Knight's head from the grand chase he had with the time traveler, pulling himself through yet another portal. Paradox didn't give him enough time to ask himself where they were going.

A white face appeared. Paradox hung upside down with long white strands of hair falling over his face. Crawling out from a portal, the time traveler landed on his feet and turned to face Knight. He spun Knight around and electrocuted a wandering demon with spiked energy balls, calling them "Maximum Strike". Paradox's movements were fluid, moving his limbs and body ever so slightly to avoid getting hit from the demons. The cavern became a violent shade of pink as he clawed into space with his hands. He grabbed Knight by the collar and shoved the redhead into the portal.

His vision blurred. Knight plunged through the vortex and felt blood rushing down his face. He stumbled over his steps before he found his footing, planting his foot back and leaning back to catch his breath.

Laughter rang in the air followed by the sound of Paradox's chains. Knight dashed headfirst, pressing his way through with his weight against his sword. He swung from the right, his weapon running past his opponent. He chipped Paradox's shoulder. White particles broke out and separated from the time traveler. Black ink seeped through Paradox's attire. His figure lit up and shattered into glass shards, replaced by a small child, sclera pitch black and broke out into a wide grin.

"How could you hurt a child?" Paradox wiped his eyes, "that hurts so much."

Knight froze. He couldn't take his eyes away from the image of a child with unnerving adult-like mannerisms. No longer concerned about maintaining the innocent facade, Paradox hovered with the aid of Dynamo and opened a spatial rift from the fabric of space. Tension built up in the air and Knight was suctioned in by a strong gravitational pull. Knight was lifted off his feet and flew towards the time traveler.

He was flung straight into a portal and popped out from the bottom of a pit. Knight rose by several feet and gasped. Lying at the bottom of the pit was the Dark Agate he and Paradox fought earlier! Its eyes were closed with its limbs stuck to the side of its body with rigidity. It was asleep, but for how long?

The time traveler opened another portal. Gravity was distorted and pressed Knight down. Paradox emerged from the portal and flew in to fire spatial orbs from a distance. The orbs exploded when it came into contact, launching Knight upward again. Knight groaned in pain when he came landed beside Paradox, who was humming to himself.

Knight pressed his face between his arms. Forming his hands into knuckles, he used his legs to rise and lifted his head. Red painted over his palm after placing it over his left shoulder dampened by his own blood. It stung as he grabbed his sword planted into the ground and raised his weapon. Sparks flew from Knight's fingertips, bursting into flames and blasted Paradox backward.

Dynamo sought their master. Paradox staggered but landed on top of the six drones with his head disheveled. A portal activated to reveal a rift from space. Starlight and nebulas shone and purple spheres hailed from a separate dimension, crashing at Knight's feet and causing tremors from the cavern's insides.

"I knew you could keep up." Paradox purred, "Good job. Now do that again and make sure you don't miss. It's going to take more than spinning around to catch me."

"You're going to regret asking for this fight!" Knight shouted.

"Those are big fighting words," Paradox said. He clutched his chest and feigned a hurt expression. "Don't make promises you can't keep~"

"Armageddon Blade!"

Knight called forth a massive blade. The great sword was twice his size and consumed a fraction of his vitality, weighing against his shoulder blade and raged with the power of the El. It wasn't as powerful as it would have been if they were fighting in Elrianode, but Knight knew that he was stronger than before. The Demon Realm had shaped him in many ways and taught him to adapt. His new opponent was going to be an additional experience to help him gain strength and help his friends. He brought the sword back and rushed ahead to tackle Paradox. Knight held up his sword and swung at Paradox.

"Double Slash!"

Paradox ordered Dynamo to shield against the blade. The Nasod cracked under the pressure and Knight paved his way in, hitting Paradox and swinging his blade to strike. Paradox's body distorted from the attack. The time traveler gritted his teeth and forced himself to move after being stunned by Knight's attack. He stepped to the side and smeared his finger across where he was wounded. Blue light surrounded Paradox and his body was free of cuts and bruises.

That's right… Paradox had Seal of Time.

"Vertical Slash!"

His back protested from being exerted in a fight Knight had not properly rested for. He allowed gravity to guide his blade and blocked an electrical blast. Paradox's portals popped in and out from different directions. When Knight looked at where he thought Paradox was hiding, he was met with an obnoxious crack from a new portal coming from a new location followed by the time traveler giggling. The process only repeated.

"Pre-dic-ta-ble~" Paradox sang, "Let me join and call out my attacks too! Reverse Stigma! Moonlight Breaker!"

Blue light shone between the two of them. Knight raced to slide over to Paradox as the time traveler uploaded coordinates onto his Nasods and shone a beam of light at an uphill angle. A powerful force tore from the ground up and narrowly missed him by an inch. The beam exploded with an ear-piercing noise that threatened to break the fabric of time and space.

Knight had his sword ready when his body began to tingle. Confused, the red knight held up his arm to see his body fading away. He panicked and turned to demand questions from Paradox when his world disappeared. Knight materialized several feet from behind and was at a loss as to how it was possible. He was back to where he was before!

He stopped to the sound of a distant groan. The cavern creaked from the walls, ceiling, and the ditch from below. A convulsion erupted at the wake of the Dark Agate. Its hollow cries were the sounds of crushed crystals fractured into millions of pieces. It silenced the smaller demons chattering with its presence and dug its nails against its stony prison. The jarring sound forced Knight to cover his ears. Paradox was unfazed and talked as if they hadn't disrupted the monster's slumber.

"Oh no, it's cranky. Would you look at the time," Paradox smiled. "Our fun moment together seems to be over."

Knight's eyes widened in horror. The ground beneath him cracked, traveling across the floor and up to the ceiling that barely touched his head. Its hoarse cries echoed inside the musty enclosure. A hand stuck out from the dark pitch, accompanied by the other holding a lantern dangling with a single flame burning in its wake.

The cavern trembled. Its mouth bared sharp crystals protruding from its insides, sharp edges pointing inward like jagged teeth. The crystal monster dug its nails into the walls as it made the trek up with a clear destination. Born from the mines and the geodes, the cavern was its home. As it reached the top, it brought itself up by its hands and pulled one leg over the next. Its core illuminated violet as the Dark Agate lifted its sword and swung its lantern into view.

The room went dark.

* * *

_Devi_

How still the world fell around her. The topsoil of the earth was being torn apart from the inside out, clay hovered around them in a crimson haze. There was hardly time for the dust to settle before being brought up again by Devi raising her spear and Empire pulling her claymore back to block an attack. Oh, how beautiful those eyes were when they glared at her like that. So angry and full of life!

Blood red skies painted the backdrop of their macabre dance. Both of them knew the rules. Each danced at their own tempo, moving forward by a few steps before stepping back and waiting for the other to make their next move. Their battle moved in progression to the speed of their movements. Devi spun faster, sliding over to Empire and flipping her spear upside down onto its tip.

The tails formed behind her back spread out and flicked Empire's kicks away from Devi. Did the Velder captain expect her to fall for the same tricks twice? Empire ran her sword over her head and struck the ground. Eun alerted her about Empire's presence and lent her strength. Spirit spheres formed around the martial artist and shielded Devi from the impact of the shockwaves delivered by Empire.

A large vortex of energy formed by dark clouds appeared in front of her. She opened a vacuum that tugged at anything that had energy except for itself. Its strong pull lifted Empire off her feet and suspended her in midair in what felt like an eternity for the captain. Her limbs fell to the side and became limp like a ragdoll.

It was hard to watch Empire fall. Her body was stunned from below the shoulders and could not move. The pained look on her face was one of desperation, locked into eye contact with Devi and full of anger, frustration. It wasn't directed at her. When one fought as many monsters and humans as Devi has, it became easier to pick and pull apart the root of people's emotions. It was self-loathing.

Flame once had those same eyes, shortly after discovering her foolish brother giving himself up to the El. To carry the burden of being an older sibling was a daunting task. Devi did not have experience of that, but she was raised in understanding the sacrifice one should take when protecting one's family. That was why Aren…

Fighting Elesis wasn't the problem. Empire was leading a team that barely managed itself because one of their team members went missing. Demons were unforgiving when outsiders stepped into their territory and Empire's team should have had more time to adjust to the Demon Realm. She and Eun could sense their heightened stamina shaped by exposure to demonic energy for a period of time. A fight against this team shouldn't have been this easy. If Empire and her teammates struggled against a group of adventurers with less exposure, how were they supposed to find the Dark El?

Pity their fight wasn't much of a challenge. Devi stretched her neck with a bored sigh and rubbed her knuckles, tracing between them with the bottom of her lips with an absent expression. With a temper like that, Devi was expecting more resistance from Empire. Wasn't she supposed to be synchronized with the El or something like that?

Devi stood up and crossed her arms, her eyes moving over to the cavern's entrance. The thin hairs on the tails she shared with Eun shivered in recognition of the strong demonic energy reeking from the insides. The fall to get past the entrance was unimaginable. She could not see the ground from where she stood. It was a rough fall with much of the walls and floors covered in crystals. They glimmered in response to the unfamiliar power of El radiating from the foreign humans fighting in its proximity.

The place smelled of demon blood. It made her blood run hot, Devi's fingers twitched in the excitement in imagining how many demons there must be inside, waiting to be torn to pieces! If Empire was too weak to move, then she was going to make it her personal goal to reach inside and slaughter all the demons that got in her way. One of them was going to know where Knight was. That's why Empire couldn't focus on their fight, wasn't it?

"Wait!" Empire cried.

Devi remained in her spot. The depths of the cavern was almost hypnotic, a dark abyss covered in sandstone and crystals.

"We're not done yet!" The Velder knight rolled on her stomach, pushing her upper body with her arms and forcing herself back up. Empire panted, "Fight me!"

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Devi mused.

"No, you!" Empire stood up with her hands and pressed her weight onto claymore as a makeshift cane. "I want to fight you, not Eun!"

Devi stopped laughing but smiled. That was the Elesis she knew, she looked at the swordswoman with pride. Enough with the formalities and cutting straight to the chase. That's what made it a pleasure to test her abilities and use the moment to assess each other's strength behind their resolve. Words were for fools. What was the use of words if one didn't have the power to fight back? Devi didn't trust people who talked yet refused to raise a single finger to follow through with sweet promises they will never fulfill. If Empire wanted to salvage what was left of her teammates' dignity, she would need to fight back.

Her hair returned back to its original color, glossy black fanned behind her back by the removal of the hairpin that kept her hair up. The tails have shrunken away and disappeared from sight. Devi's eyes faded from red back into its original amber hue. She could feel Eun's presence returning back into her body, no longer possessing her body and leaving her with Empire.

"If that's what you wish, _princess_." Devi giggled, "Don't look at me like that. I don't mean foul. Don't cry if I'm too hard on you~"

Numerous orbs materialized from the ground up. Devi had them fly around Empire and raised her spear to strike. Battles were harsh teachers, but that was how Aren helped her. Even after being possessed by a demon, he taught her the harsh reality of how being stronger wasn't enough to catch Ran and demand him to release her brother. Empire should understand more than anyone else in the party what happened when one hesitated in saving one's family member.

Spirit energy circuited through her body, a warm and familiar friend she could always rely on in addition to Eun's help. She conjured flames from the Rakshasa, incinerating everything in her path and watched it burn. It smelled of ashes, marking the skies in orange flames and making their presence known.

Struck by the destructive fire, Empire hissed to the pain shot up from her arm. One second too late and her body would have been inflicted by Devi's Rakshas Inferno. She put on her tough soldier face and didn't let the pain slow her pace. The Velder captain charged with her sword steadied, using her left hand to strike from behind, pulling her weight and knocking the spear from Devi's hold with her claymore.

The flames dispersed, losing their warmth and vanished into cold breaths. Devi lost her grip and watched her spear land on the ground, leaving deep scars on the stone floor. She welcomed Empire with a pained smile.

"Those weren't for decoration after all," Devi eyed the ornaments stitched into the Velder captain's clothing and purred, "I wouldn't expect anything less from Ele's other self."

Her opponent was now defenseless without a weapon within an arm's reach, yet Empire did not lower her guard. Once again, Devi found herself at the end of the redhead's claymore. Its sharp end was an unfamiliar one, thinner and more elegant than Flame's. She was met with cold steel. Empire wasn't afraid to let her blade get close to her enemy. She was no fool.

Empire's efforts were not to be ignored. How hard she tried to put up a leaderly front and tell her teammates to go for the enemy, away from where they could see their leader stumble. Hardened by endless wars combined by stubbornness in refusing to let that facade slip for more than a moment. Flame was guilty of all of that no matter how many times Devi had called her out on it.

"They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Devi chuckled at an old saying she once heard Dominator said out of exasperation. She thought it was fitting when both of the women she loved had hair the color of the bright red fruit.

"What?" Empire tensed, "is that a code you use for you and your friends?"

"Hmm?" Devi laughed again, "Why so anxious? Scared of little old me?"

"Ara isn't this-" Empire failed to find words. "She isn't…"

"Reckless? Vile? A monster?" She chortled, shaking her head with laughter, "you wouldn't be the first to say that, honey. But… my Elesis isn't this stiff."

Red flashed in Empire's eyes and protested, "Stiff? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, surely you aren't thinking, 'Why is she like this? Why is she crazy? Why is she…'" Devi's voice drifted away before she redirected her attention to Empire. "But soldiers aren't supposed to be thinking of trivial things, isn't that right, Ms. Velder Captain~?"

"Don't call me that!" Empire snapped but her cheeks were pink, "What are you trying to-"

The earth shifted beneath their feet. Plate tectonics split in two, sliding over one another and forming into sharp-edged peaks erupting from the bottom up. Amethysts shot from the floor, bursting from the inside of geodes that were formed between sedimentary and volcanic rocks.

Devi slid over a geode, careful not to trip over the gravel covered in fine dust. She dragged her foot down and lowered her body, taking a leap and using a rising geode as a springboard to land opposite to Empire. Her spear was lodged between two cliffs meeting at a center point. Devi reached over to grab her spear, eager to regain her balance once she had her hands wrapped around its amber handle once more.

"Ara!" Oz's voice came from her communicator, "I'm inside with Crusader. Don't follow us, there's something living there. It's-"

A harsh cry snarled from inside. Its groans shook the walls around them, in sync to the rocking of the cavern. A monster several times larger than the beasts from Sander emerged from a portal.

Shrouded by the shadows and lighting struck by the suns, the stranger was dressed in purples and pinks draped over a distinctly thin figure. Their face was covered by long white hair reaching down their back. Bright white teeth blanched against sickeningly pale skin. The stranger had a strange assortment of diamond-shaped disks circling around them. Nasods?

Thin lines cracked against the skies, forming into a circular shape and a portal opening appeared. A new figure fell from the heavens. They made their landing with lack of grace, crash landing on their knees and hands. Devi made out the familiar shape of Rune's greatsword held inside a scabbard slid onto the stranger's back. Red eyes came into view as they moved into the light.

"Elsword?" Empire stumbled over to Knight with arms extended.

Shit. She was still here.

Devi twisted her body but could not speak, too stunned by Rune's mirror image. He was Elsword, but something about him was different. She sensed the heightened power of the El from within the Knight Emperor. It was unlike the living flames inside of Rune amplified by the El's influence. When Devi looked into the boy's eyes, it was like he was seeing past her.

Her eyes flashed between the scenic apocalypse painted by a combination of their fight and that of the newcomers. What was that monster? It exuded similar energy as the Dark El, but more concentrated than the remnants she had encountered in Feita. The man in purple, who was he? What was he doing here with Knight?

"Sis?" Knight didn't take his eyes away from her, wiping some tears running down his cheeks. "Is that you?"

Devi lowered her head. The princess had finally reunited with her brother after painstakingly fighting strangers that looked like the people she knew. She was rewarded for her gallant efforts. What did that leave Devi with? Defeated teammates while Ran was still running amok among demons and imprisoning her brother's body? Was this the end to her duet with Empire? Knight has returned. There was no other reason to continue the fight. Empire had won.

"I'm here," Empire smiled, soft pink shells curling up against her tan complexion. She wrapped her arms around him. "How did you find a way out?"

"I didn't," Knight said. "It's Add-, I mean Paradox. This is all his doing."

"Add?" Empire was confused, "but I thought he was fighting Eve. I heard from her just an hour ago when she spoke to me."

"There's another one!" Knight tugged her arm, "please. We need to stop him. I don't know who else he's going to go after."

Although no longer a boy by any means, Devi continued to see him as one. So naive and eager to save everyone involved with him. Knight was no different from Rune, although he lacked a sense of humor, Devi snorted. At least Rune was funny. It was strange to see someone be so similar to their leader, yet dissimilar enough to stop her from getting sentimental about Knight's entrance.

"What do you want?" Empire barked when Paradox landed beside them.

"Man, is that all everyone here asks?" Paradox yawned, "I didn't think there would be so many of you, but I suppose this will suffice."

"If you come any closer, I'll have to fight you!" Knight shouted.

"Isn't that what we were doing before we were rudely interrupted?" Paradox leaned his head back and waved lazily to Empire, "I suppose you must be the red brat's sister."

"You can fight me, but let Knight go!" Empire readied her blade.

"If you insist~" He sang, "Reverse Stigma!"

Blue light covered Paradox and Empire, a series of numbers and vectors unwinded from the light. Empire tumbled away from the man shooting out electrical spheres, slashing her claymore into Dynamo and leaving a dent on one of the drones. Paradox ordered Dynamo to arrange themselves into a triangular formation as he inputted the coordinates and angled them upward with intent. A powerful force tore the surrounding space apart. Explosions propelled Empire and launched her into the sky.

"Elesis!" Knight ran after her.

Devi thrust her spear into Paradox and stunned him momentarily. She pulled her spear out and sprinted. Devi stuck her spear in the ground for leverage, using it as a springboard to launch herself high and brought her arms out to catch Empire. The additional weight and momentum from Empire's fall crushed them back into the earth just as the world began to turn on its axis. The monster!

"Y-you?" Empire opened her eyes. "But why?"

Devi didn't answer.

Paradox planted a pair of Nasods stationed at the base of the monster, setting off explosions and hauling the Dark Agate down to its knees. It fought to break free from a paradigm coordinated by the time traveler to restrain its movements. Black tar oozed from the man's lower lip, shaken from having his stamina drained from the ongoing fight. His eyes flashed black and released his hold on the monster. It slammed into the ground.

The cavern began to collapse. Devi shoved her spear between the Dark Agate's mouth and used the last of her energy to summon an Energy Wave to push it out. She raised Empire with one leg and pushed herself to keep going. Devi could feel her stamina being drained away. At least… Empire got to see Knight and was safe. She struggled to stay awake and closed her eyes as the cavern's entrance was sealed shut by the destruction from all sides.

* * *

**Author Notes:** Sorry for taking so long to update. It's been a rough month for me with work and classes going online. Thank you dez for always beta-reading my stuff and feeding me ideas when I meme about my fanfics. Credit goes to them for giving me wonderful ideas for the Paradox fight and by wonderful, I mean awful ideas on how to torment Knight.


	9. Consolidation

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 7,821

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 09: Consolidation **_

* * *

_Daybreaker _

A pair of eyes followed her, carefully making notes of her movements with an analytical intent not unlike that of a soldier. Daybreaker saw him do the same with her companions. Rune Master scratched the back of his neck and laughed when caught, but his smile failed to reach his eyes. He was doing what humans did when anxious or uncertain about their future. It was the kind of behavior Daybreaker saw when humans realized that they had no control over their current situation. Rune was trying to understand who they were, these strangers that shared his friends' faces, yet didn't know him.

Empire left with the others with the premise of approaching a cavern after Bluhen and Bringer detected Knight's El resonance. It made sense to send one of their stronger team members in case they had to fight off demons or powerful enemies that were after the Dark El. There was a possibility demons like Ran were out to get their revenge on the team.

"They haven't returned," Rune said. "I don't sense them."

The rune user sat at the base of one of the many mountains decorating the terrain. Rune sat with his legs crossed and traced his finger over the sand. It was hard to believe he was Knight from his demeanor. He could be pouncing on Rage with trivial questions for one moment, but then lose all emotion and ask if they knew where the Dark El was.

Daybreaker wanted to believe his interest in the Dark El was for the same reason as Knight's.

"What's your plan?" Rune said, "You promised to help if they didn't come back."

"Only if they're in trouble," Rage replied.

"Are they?" Rune tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

He sat up and stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles. Weaponless, Rune had nowhere to go except where his kidnappers were willing to trek. His mannerisms reminded Daybreaker of the boy she first met near Ruben Village. Rune was brash and said what was on his mind with no plan in mind, although the latter was questionable. There was a familiar hint of mischievousness in Rune, sometimes snorting to a joke no one knew about except for himself.

Rage tapped his finger over his communicator, his lips forming into a tight line when there was no response. He breathed in unison with the Nasod arm, alive and independent from its owners' thoughts.

"What's wrong, Raven?" Daybreaker saw the man frown.

"Elesis isn't answering."

"What does that mean?" Aether asked. "Did something happen to them?"

"I'm trying to call them," Daybreaker tapped on her device and waited for the familiar voices of her friends. "Where are you going?"

Rune sat up.

"How can you sit here and act like nothing's wrong?" Rune glared.

"You don't know what they're going up against," Rage went after him.

"Which is exactly why you should go save them!" He pulled his arm away from the older man, "Doesn't it bother you that they asked you to sit and wait?"

Daybreaker had her gloved hand out, mere inches away from Rune's face. She grabbed hold of the collar of his jacket and pulled on it, forcing Rune to lower his head so they were at the same level. He was just a child yet he was so eager to throw his life away for strangers he hardly knew. There was fear in Rune's features.

"So you're going to throw a tantrum like a child?" Daybreaker asked.

"Rena?" Aether gasped. "What are you doing to him?"

"I don't think I'm asking much when I tell you to remain here." Daybreaker kept her voice even, "I understand why you're upset and that you are here against your will. I know that makes us look bad, but I think it's going to be worse if something was to happen to you because of us. We promised Elesis we would keep you safe."

Daybreaker couldn't allow it in her subconscious to allow him to walk off like that. They have already lost Knight. If the other El Search Party learned that Rune had gone missing over another heroic act, she wasn't sure if it was something she could ever forgive herself for. She didn't know Rune well, but she couldn't stand the idea of seeing a young human getting hurt. Not after losing Knight.

Rune cracked a smile, tears streaming down his cheeks. She loosened her grip when his eyes flickered cyan for a brief moment. Daybreaker bit her lips. The other Elsword was influenced by the El too. That's why he was receptive to other people's El resonance. It must be painful for Rune to be aware of people's state of mind or power, a blessing and a curse. Rune could have sensed something most of them couldn't. No wonder he was eager to charge into another battle. He was Elsword, after all.

"Heh, you really are Rena." Rune laughed without humor, "She would have said something like that."

Knight's doppelgänger rolled his shoulders and pulled his jacket back to show off his bare stomach. His attire was more reminiscent of civilians from Bethma than from his hometown. Rune had his hand behind his back, twitching in need of having a weapon by his side at all times. It was strange how similar he was to Knight without realizing it.

Aether flicked the rune user by forehead with her fingers before crossing her arms, "Where were you planning to go anyway? We don't even know where they are!"

"That hurts!" Rune whined.

"Rena, are you there?" Crusader's voice broke out in static, "This is Chung. The cavern is collapsing. I'm with another person. We can breathe, but there's a monster outside. Be careful, it's dangerous! It can-"

His voice was cut off before his message could pass through. Daybreaker's throat went dry and searched to see if any coordinations have been sent to her. Without them, they would have to find their teammates by relying on their senses.

"I heard Chung's voice," Rage remained composed. He sensed her anxiety and was already coming up with a plan for their next mission. "I'm guessing this is the signal?"

"I think that warrants more than that," Aether said dryly.

The sky bloomed into deep violet. Lines cracked against the vibrant heavens, outer shells of crystals framed and hollowed out from the insides to form an assortment of portals. Black spheres tore the surrounding space apart. A deafening sound crashed in Daybreaker's eardrums when they exploded in the sky.

The cacophony produced by the powerful force strengthened as Daybreaker led them closer to the source, at the entrance of Shadow Vein, a cavern filled with giant crystals. Towering mountains came into view when they arrived at the base of where the cavern opening was supposed to be. Slabs of rocks and boulders blocked the entrance, leaving little room for even the smallest child to fit through one of the bigger holes. Rune slammed his bare hands against the boulders.

"Are you in there?" Rune pulled his arm out in search of his sister, "Elesis!"

"Elsword!" Empire cried and reached for him with an arm smeared in blood. "Is that you? We're inside Shadow Vein!"

"We'll find a way to get you out, I promise!" He choked into a quiet sob.

Green light shone as Daybreaker strung her bow and focused her energy on the pointed end of her arrows. She shot two arrows to a shadowed figure that appeared from her peripheral vision, followed by a backflip and fired several more towards the sky. Daybreaker gasped when the sky disrupted and the very fabric of time and dimension was torn apart. Her arrows disappeared into the small holes created by the tears and flew back towards her. Daybreaker launched herself into a backflip and cartwheeled away with her bow tucked behind her back.

Fire, ice, and electricity were dispersed by Aether, followed by explosions from impact as she fired a circle of elements to the enemy. Smoke filled the air and the elemental mage's voice was heard amongst the chaos.

The shadowed figure dissolved into space, taking the shape of a tall figure with white hair reaching down its back. A magenta-colored crystal latched onto their chest and glowed a sickly coloration to their skin, a shade lighter than her's. Their jawline was met by a slender neck covered in black material unknown to Elrians. Drones levitated around the stranger with a mind of their own, acting as a shield and deflecting dark energy from the monster they were fighting.

"That monster has Elsword!" Aether pointed to the shapeless crystal monster. The Dark Agate pinched Knight between its fingers, lifting him and screaming when Aether summoned icicles to pierce through its hardened skin. The icicles broke off and shattered into dust.

Rage leveraged his blade between his Nasod arm and pressed his weight against the monster's legs. Sharp lines cracked into its exterior and dark liquid leaked out, emitting a foul smell that reeked of rotting flesh and metal. The end of Rage's Nasod arm drilled further into the monster's skin, twisting and forming dents into it. The Dark Agate groaned and charged against the base of the mountain. Stone walls rumbled and cascaded over the land, sending pebbles raining down over Rage and Knight.

"It seems like your _friends _came for you," the stranger chuckled overhead. They maintained distance as they lowered themself to reveal the face of a man. Scars stretched over the lower half of his face and grinned. "I'll be nice and deliver their princess~"

"I'm not a princess-"

Knight stopped fighting from the monster's hold and froze. His body outlined in blue and faded. His cries echoed the valley and shook the mountains' foundations surrounding them. Knight reappeared next to the stranger. Nowhere to stand, Knight panicked and waved his limbs in panic. He was hundreds of feet above the ground and had nowhere to break his fall.

Daybreaker leaped into the air and strung several arrows between her fingers with dexterity. Her arrows fought against gravity and flew across. Three arrows ran through the seams of the back of Knight's collar, pinning him and sending his body slammed against the walls of a cliff. She ran over to check his status, but a purple blur beat her to it.

"Elsword!"

Aether waved her staff and teleported in succession to the base of the cliff. Her arms were stretched out and stood on her tiptoes in reach for Knight. It would have been touching to see Aether finally be honest about her feelings for the younger boy, but the stranger's appearance led to more questions for Daybreaker. What did he do to escape from the hold of a powerful demon?

"Aisha, help me!" Knight clung to the wall, pushing his legs up in search for something to stand on with no avail.

"I'm trying!" Aether growled, "You're lucky Rena is here to stop you from breaking your neck!"

Daybreaker rubbed her forehead with a sigh. She couldn't believe her arrows were strong enough to stick to the walls. Being in Demon Realm must have done something to strengthen her tolerance against the demonic energy and help her rebuild her strength as she would have in Elrios.

"So cute," the enigmatic man giggled. He rested his elbow against one of his drones and lifted one leg up.

"Where are you going?" Knight looked at the man.

"I already saved you twice," he yawned. "I think you can handle this one by yourself."

The man opened a portal and exited from the scene with a Cheshire grin being the last thing they saw. The portal was sealed shut from behind and the sky went back to being a melancholy blue dipped in tones of red and orange. Who was he?

"If you keep moving, you're going to fall!" Aether chastised.

"How am I supposed to get down?" Knight asked. "There is nothing to-, ah!"

The arrows holding Knight snapped and the boy slid down. Daybreaker winced as he dropped from several meters high. They scrambled to run to where Knight fell with their arms out. Rage slowed down his run into a fast walk and had his arms ready to catch the younger member of the El Search Party. Daybreaker readied herself by placing her weight into the back of her legs, but her train of thought interrupted by the sound of Knight shouting and Aether screaming. Knight had crash-landed his body onto Aether by full force.

"Elsword, you're too heavy!" Aether complained. "Get off, you're crushing me!"

"My back hurts!" Knight whined. "Where did Paradox go? We need to go after him!"

"Not in your condition," Rage said. He brought Knight's arm around his shoulder to help him stand up. "You can tell us more about that man when we bring you back to safety."

"What about Rune?" Knight asked. "What happened to him?"

Red flames shot into the air and brought Daybreaker's attention back to the cavern's entrance. Empire and Rune were still there. Horror rose from the back of her throat and she went back to find them.

Magic ran through Rune's veins. Flames flew between his fingers as the rune user idly juggled fireballs between his palms and fired them like bullets. He was adept in fire magic that could have challenged Aether's abilities. Most mages needed a physical object to channel their magic into, yet Rune was able to summon fire without burning himself.

Sparks flared inside Rune's hands, emitting heat and uncontrolled flames to match the anger playing across his features. Hand over his hip, Rune ignored their calls. Rune's hands formed into fight fists and gritted his teeth. He snapped when the Dark Agate expelled crystal shards from its body. Rune incinerated them with his flames, moving his limbs with fluidity and dodging its attacks before firing back. He landed his attack directly into the monster's chest and watched it tumble over with a low groan.

"Heh, is that all?" Rune grinned. "That was nothing!"

Their footsteps alerted him of their presence.

"I solved one of your problems!" Rune saw Knight being helped by Rage and his smile faltered, "and you found your guy... "

"You're okay!" Knight lit up.

"Heh, you too?" Rune scratched the back of his neck. "Looks like it's hard to kill you too."

"I'm glad you're safe," Knight was relieved. "I was worried about you."

Rune hid his face from view, "You're just like what they told me. You're making me look bad."

"Huh?" Knight was confused.

"Forget it," Rune shook his head. "I'm just rambling."

The sound of rocks and stones rumbling made Rune look up to see the Dark Agate bringing its body back up. Horror came into realization as he searched for the last bit of mana to summon his flames. Rune didn't hear them shouting his name and didn't move.

Its clawed arm overhauled to reach for Rune when the sound of gunshots pierced through the thick air. A rain of bullets broke through the monster's skin and left holes inside its body before it could move. The last bullet hit the Dark Agate between the opening of its "mouth" and the monster collapsed on its own weight.

Daybreaker searched for the source of the bullets and stopped to see a pair of ice-blue eyes peering from behind a boulder. Their white armor shared the same sheen as the shells found off the coast of Hamel. A young man stepped out from the shadows when Rune waved and beamed to the newcomer.

"Chung?" Rune choked when he was pulled into a tight embrace by Crusader's counterpart.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner," he whispered.

* * *

_Fatal Phantom_

Phantom didn't let go, feeling his shoulders shake when he hugged around the rune user's smaller figure. Several day cycles had passed since he had last seen Rune, but his body was struggling to adjust to the new sleep cycle in Demon Realm. His muscles continued to tense and idly played with the trigger with his thumb even as Rune gently rubbed his knuckles over the marksman's back.

He noticed their audience and obscured his lower face with his scarf. Phantom counted three heads and frowned. There were supposed to be more of them. What happened to the people Oz reported over his last contact with the dark mage? She said they were fighting against Add, Ain, and Chung. He searched for a face identical to his when he felt a warm pair of hands run up his body.

"It's okay, I'm here." He felt Rune's lips lift from the corner of his mouth, pressing them at the nape of his neck.

"What are you doing trying to fight by yourself?" Phantom hissed and pushed himself away, ignoring Rune's hurt expression.

"I had it under control." Rune wasn't as concerned and stretched his arms out. In a quieter voice, the redhead tilted his head back and chuckled. "And I wasn't alone, I had you."

Phantom enjoyed being around Rune (he could hear Anemos giggling if he ever admitted that), but he could never wrap his mind around how the late Sieghart could say embarrassing things without getting flustered. It was like standing next to a sun, if said sun was a blinding red and set itself on fire intermittently. He huffed and feigned a cough to hide his embarrassment.

"Rune?"

He turned to see a face identical to Rune's peer from the side. How similar they were, yet there was a distinct contrast in how Knight presented himself. Hair brushed to the side in a neat short cut, Knight was covered in blood and sweat. Dried blood covered his sides and cracked when he moved. He leaned against Rage's shoulder before pushing himself and stumbling over to Rune and Phantom with a pained expression. Knight straightened his back and pulled out a sword covered in red runes to offer it to his counterpart with an awkward smile.

Good grief, did all Elswords smile through their pain?

"I wanted to return this to its owner," Knight brought his hands into his pockets. "I think you'll make better use of it than I did."

Aether looked at Knight with an alarmed expression. "What were you doing with Rune's sword?"

"One of your friends has Elsword's weapon," Rage explained when Phantom gave him a look of confusion. "He had blue hair and didn't talk much."

"Ain?" Rune ran his hand through his hairline, "You saw him?"

"I think Paradox is involved in this," Knight said. "He uses portals to toy with people. That's why he has your sword. He must have done the same with mine."

Who was Paradox? Phantom was already lost in the conversation in who was being referred to when everyone had a counterpart. He wasn't even going to try and guess which one of his teammates went by the name of Paradox in another dimension.

It was clear that Paradox had left Knight shaken. His skin was paler than Rune's and sadness reflected in his expression when he addressed them with unnecessary formality. Knight had a stockier build than Rune, but without his sword, he was defenseless and had nothing to occupy his hands with. He kept his hands in his pockets or folded them over his thighs, tinkering with his fingers when he spoke.

"What did Paradox want?" Daybreaker asked. Motherly concern took over and the elf woman rested her palm against Knight's forehead. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm not sure," Knight admitted and shook his head. "He kept me close and made me watch you guys fight each other. I think he's lonely."

"What kind of person does that?" Aether puffed her cheeks, "he brought that monster and left us to clean up his mess!"

"We should at least find him and learn what his intentions are," Rage said. "Elsword said he could control portals. If we can get him to talk, maybe we can help them return home?"

Phantom felt their eyes fall on him and Rune as if they had just been noticed. It was an uncomfortable feeling being scrutinized by the people they were supposed to be fighting hours ago. Rune probably wouldn't appreciate it either if they were to break out into another fight. He squeezed Rune's hand when he saw the latter breath out a heavy sigh.

He saw it in his partner's eyes. Rune was blaming himself again, playing the martyr and carrying the burden with miserable pride. It was pitiful at first sight, but it was getting on his nerves and Phantom has had enough of it. Rune shouldn't be the first to jump ship and take the blame for things that were out of his control. The rune user wasn't the only one from a different dimension.

"We're not leaving until we find the others," Phantom said. "One of our friends said they were stuck inside Shadow Vein with one of yours."

"You mean Chung?" Daybreaker asked, "He said he was with your Aisha."

"Who probably isn't as skilled as me," Aether smirked.

"You haven't even met her yet," Knight deadpanned.

"What? Have you?" Aether scoffed. "Because last time I checked, you were kept hostage by a man wearing a trash bag!"

_What a strange group_, Phantom thought. They were lively and bickered among themselves, not unlike his teammates when they weren't busy chasing after demons because of strange circumstances that liked to fall on them. When was the last time their party had the chance to sit down and chatter without being rushed to their next destination?

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," Rune blurted out. He looked at Knight with guilt. "Your sister is trapped inside the cave because of us, I'm sorry. I-"

"What are you apologizing for?" Aether stared at Rune. "Don't blame yourself for something you have no control over."

"No one is angry at you," Daybreaker agreed "What matters is that you and Elsword are safe. There's no reason to fight anymore."

Phantom was apprehensive in meeting the people that took away his friend, yet they were treating Rune as one of their own, comforting and reassuring him, easing the pain away with kind words of encouragement. No matter how different they were from his friends, their actions were genuine and held no grudge against them. After months of traveling in Elysion, it was strange to meet people again. The other El Search Party didn't hold the mysticism the El Masters and priestesses had. They were adventurers like them that knew how to hold their ground against powerful enemies.

Was Phantom blind in worrying about Rune when the fire user was in good company with capable adventurers? He wasn't ready to fully trust them, but Phantom saw that they wouldn't harm Rune. He gathered that the opposing party, at least in regards to Aether and Daybreaker, were the more honest adventurers from how open and relaxed they were in discussing plans in their presence. Phantom had enough encounters with deceitful clients to recognize the signs of ones he could not trust.

"Did you come here alone?" Rune asked Phantom with worried concern. He gripped his hand around Phantom's; they were warm and sweaty.

"No," Phantom said. "Aisha contacted us and Eve detected you."

Rune lit up at the mention of their team members.

Ultimate gave him affirmation about Rune's location in the logical optimism she often had ("Based on reading analysis, there is an 80.88% chance he is in this region."). Phantom didn't ask where the numbers were from. It was rare for her to make mistakes, even rarer for Ultimate if it involved their friend. Rune wasn't hard to find, anyway because he liked to make his presence known. His flames flared like a beacon for Phantom to find the rune user.

"Where are they?" Aether asked.

"Yo!"

Five figures came into view past the blocks of shattered boulders crumbled over the closed cavern. Ultimate's winged form was visible, shaped by the dark curves thrown by the smaller sun casting over the Nasod Queen. Draped over her shoulder was Abysser drooling with his eyes shut and wrapping his arms around Ultimate's mechanical wings. Timoria exchanged a look of defeat to Phantom and shrugged in exasperation. A spark of annoyance was apparent in the brisk walk Ultimate took; Moby and Remy followed their owner and hovered to prevent Abysser's head from bumping into things.

Walking behind Ultimate was a gray-haired man in a sleeveless top covered by a heavy furred coat. Phantom recognized him as the opposing El Search Party's Ain. Featureless and free of the El's influence, Bluhen kept his head low, deprived of emotions. The cowlick forming from his hairline dropped and his eyes wandered from the present.

Leading the strange assortment of misfits was a woman in black leather that covered most of her body. Everything about her reminded Phantom of the flames she and Rune manipulated - her eyes, hair, and the tattoos engraved into her skin. The tattered jacket over Flame's shoulders crackled in unison to the footsteps made by her heeled boots. The body dragged over her shoulders was a man in black and purple. His face was hidden, but there was little guess to who that was supposed to be.

"Is that Add?" Rage gawked at the display of an unconscious teammate.

"I said yo!" Flame waved her arm. As she neared, she lowered her shoulders and unloaded the heavyweight with a toothy grin. "When a person says hi, you're supposed to say hi back!"

"You're not sis," Knight looked away with disappointment.

"Ouch," Flame winced and rubbed her back. "Sorry~"

"Don't be rude!" Aether hissed but gave the older woman an apologetic look. "Don't be mad, he's injured and went through a lot."

"Nah, it's just a little strange to know I have two brothers." Her eyes moved over to Rune with a wide grin, "but this one is still my favorite!"

"Elesis?" Rune's eyes widened, "Ow, that's my rib. Your hugs are too much."

Rune cried in receiving a bear hug from the sister he looked up to, rubbing the tears streaming down his face in laughter. Flame let go after getting playfully punched by her brother. His joy sparked a bright light and for a moment, Phantom forgot they were stuck in the middle of a place where they shouldn't exist. Seeing him smile made the search for the idiotic redhead damn worth it, although that thought was soon cut short.

"Ain? Are you okay?" Daybreaker rushed to Bluhen to check on the priest and placed a gloved hand over his shoulder. "Did you go into a full fight?"

"I'm just tired," Bluhen gave a weak smile. "Good thing Mr. Guardian stopped the fight. I would have lost in a fight against two."

"Is that what happened?" Knight asked. "What about Add?"

"This guy wasted all his energy healing himself," Timoria pointed to Bluhen. She pulled her cap down to hide her eyes, "Ciel is down because he got too close."

Ultimate placed Abysser on the ground and had his head resting against a makeshift pillow. Bringer was arranged in a similar manner as they set up a temporary healing station to heal wounds after the disastrous fights. Both had white hair and didn't stir when moved by the people carrying them, snoring softly next to one another.

"What's wrong?" Phantom asked. He saw Rune placing his hands over the blocked cavern, his tattoos glowing in anticipation with desperation in his expression. Arms reached out for the other side with guilt, Rune leaned his body forward with a bitter smile.

"His sister is trapped inside," Rune nodded towards Knight talking to one of his teammates with a saddened expression and shaking his head. "So are a few others, including our friends."

"Let me talk to her. Go help the others." He heard Rune sigh but left to talk to their conscious teammates. Phantom placed his hand over the slab of stone, searching for an opening where he could get his voice across. "Elesis, are you there?"

Weak laughter came from the other side, a young woman's voice was heard.

"Are you Chung?"

"I'm the other one. Call me Phantom." Phantom said, "Who's with you?"

"Devi," she answered. "There are two more inside. This entrance is blocked, but Chu-, a friend of ours said he felt a breeze coming from somewhere else."

Empire was talking about his counterpart, Phantom heard her hesitance in referring to the other one. The sheer size of the cavern covered more ground than some of the mountains surrounding Hamel. It was not uncommon for caves of that size to have multiple entrances and exits. His alternative could be using that information to look for a new exit.

"Locate them and search for another way out," Phantom said. "We will be looking for them too."

"Thank you," Empire breathed. "I'm sorry about the trouble we have caused."

"You did it because he's important to you," Phantom closed his eyes. "I will talk to both of our teams and let you know if we find something."

Phantom turned to meet with a pair of red eyes looking at him with curiosity. It was like looking into a cracked mirror. The shape of his eyes and face were Rune's but his posture had more in common with Hamel soldiers than that of a village boy. Knight was well endowed in plated armor designed for offense, chained and overlapping with one another to strengthen his defense for front row battles. He gave Phantom an impressed smile and approached the assassin with no fear.

"Thank you for doing the right thing," Knight was grateful.

"I only did it because someone asked me to," Phantom said. He moved away and kept his distance, but Knight came in closer.

"You care about Rune a lot," Knight leaned in to inspect Phantom with interest. "Is that why?"

He would be damned if he was expecting Knight to be any less perceptive than Rune. How much of the conversation between him and Rune did Knight overhear? Phantom wasn't going to open about his life story to someone he had just met, even if that person looked like someone he knew!

"You should stay back and heal," Phantom turned his head away to hide the pink in his cheeks. Did none of the Elswords know personal space? And in public! "There's medicine if you need some."

_Please read the room_, he silently begged Knight to leave. They have already found Rune. Now they needed to regroup and find a way to leave this dimension so they could do their tasks properly. There were things they needed to do if they wanted to make progress without any further delay than the inconveniences caused by every other person they have met.

Knight didn't leave.

"That's okay, Ain can heal us!"

Fucking hell.

* * *

_Empire Sword _

Underneath the dull lighting of the illuminating crystals, Empire could make out Devi's small figure. Limbs tangled and sprawled out, her eyes were closed shut. Her face was pale and had a sickly hue. She had scars formed over one another in layers, some of them blossoming into patterns nearly identical to the ones Empire had before she met Bluhen.

Empire dragged Devi over to the flat surface, further into the cave and away from the dangerous rocks and boulders that nearly crushed them. They would be dead if it wasn't for Devi's quick thinking, Empire thought with a bitter smile. The red knight had technically won the fight against the late Haan, but it was a bittersweet victory for her. Once again, she was separated from Elsword because of the strange circumstances around them.

She produced a bandage roll from her bag and threw the rest of the contents back in. Empire held up a flashlight over to Devi to inspect the woman for injuries. She unrolled the bandage and wrapped it around Devi's exposed ankle, tightening and rolling it into a knot and tucking it in.

They needed to find an exit out of this place. Crusader was somewhere inside of Shadow Vein with the opposite team's Aisha. Phantom said he and the others would search for an exit too, but she was uncertain how much she could trust him. He sounded stern when he made his promise, keeping his voice low as if afraid of being heard. There was no timidness in his tone, but a harsh one that spoke of urgency.

The red knight couldn't understand why there was another El Search Party. What did they want from them and how did they cross paths with them? Could this be another result of Knight's brief connection with the El in Elrianode? Her lips quivered at the thought of her brother's action bringing about their current situation. Tempering with the El was risky and made them easy targets.

Empire tucked a strand of hair behind Devi's ear but paused to the serene smile that graced upon the woman's face. Legs crossed and arms hugging her spear, she was defenseless in sleep, free of pain and ambitions. She laid in silence as Empire lifted her head to stare into the depths of the cavern. Her eyes strained to look into the dark abyss and landed over to Devi's face again, unable to look away.

Why did Devi save her?

She had foolishly fallen into Paradox's provocation that would have cost her life if Devi wasn't there to break her fall. The demon they fought was still out there and they were trapped inside because of her impulsive decision. What kind of leader was she? Empire gripped her claymore and hissed from the pain digging into her shoulder blades.

They were alive, but the air here tasted like dirt and copper, a combination she was unfortunately familiar with. The interior entrance of the cavern had a low ceiling that forced Empire to crouch her body and look down.

The red knight had Devi's legs bent and lowered her body. Empire pulled Devi by the wrists until she was standing, bringing Devi's arms over her shoulders and lifted herself up to carry the unconscious woman. The additional weight had Empire steady herself in a slow march into the darkness.

The crystals enclaved a narrow pathway for Empire to follow, careful to walk around the tight twists and turns leading downward. Light cracked between Empire's fingers and the jagged lines etched into the boulders that were effectively blocking the way they came in. Water drops pelted her face as she looked up to find crystals forming from the ceiling, their radiance growing and fading in strength. There was an earthy damp smell as Empire strained her muscles to shove the rocks and pebbles out of the way. She rubbed her head with the back of her palm and hissed in pain. Blood trickled down from her bottom lip as the red-haired woman gasped for air.

Her body and mind had adjusted to the heavy demonic pressure that was the hallmark of Demon Realm, a red haze of aura that no longer clouded her mind. Demonic energy maintained the realm's stability, but something changed when Paradox appeared. Portals were not foreign concepts to her, but she never saw so many open until she saw Paradox fight Knight. The number of portals that began opening in various spots made her uneasy. They reminded her too much of Glave taunting the El Search Party into visiting various dimensions for his own amusement.

A shadow swooped down and spread its wings. Empire screamed when it let out high pitched squeaks and turned around, only to bump into her again. She almost dropped Devi. Her back was turned when she saw a human-shaped figure lurking from the darkness. Empire darted past the shadow to see the cavern tunnels widening again.

A pointed hat covered in zippers came into view, followed by a young woman appearing under the lighting and dressed in an outfit that was just as eccentric. Oz Sorcerer caught Empire by the arm and reeled her in with her staff, stopping her from running headfirst into the wall. She flashed a smile to Empire and tipped her hat off with serene eyes.

"Sorry about that," Oz apologized. "Angkor thought you were a demon."

"Angkor?" Empire gawked at the ball flapping its wings beside the dark mage. That thing was the demon Rune mentioned earlier? But it was so round and fat. "It's real?"

"As real as I am." Oz looked at Devi sleeping over Empire's shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, "what happened to her?"

"She passed out because of the earthquake," Empire explained. "We're trapped inside and need to find a different exit."

"Of course we do," the woman sighed. "There's no easy way out because that would be _too _simple."

Empire burst out in laughter, tilting her head back and catching her breath in short gasps before settling with a lopsided smile. At least Empire could be assured that Oz was going to be as sarcastic as her counterpart. She chuckled when Oz looked at her in confusion, if not weary by the red knight's presence. Empire realized the source of Oz's nervousness when the heavy hitter of the other team was found unconscious by her hands.

"Ugh, you're so loud."

Devi lifted her head. Arms wrapped around Empire's neck, she fluttered her eyes open and hung her head over the red head's shoulder. She pressed her weight down and twisted her body to find her head reaching the cavern ceiling. Her muscles twitched as Devi wiggled her limbs, discomfort in being held down by the enemy and unable to move. Tufts of hair stuck up in different directions in a messy array. Sharp fingernails clawed into Empire's shoulders.

"I'm having a conversation with your teammate," Empire said without feeling sorry. She wasn't going to let Devi's words bother her. There were bigger things to worry about.

"Good to see you didn't lose your head," Devi caught Empire's gaze with pursed lips.

"We're done fighting," was all Empire could muster to say without making herself into a fool.

"I know that," Devi said with boredom and yawned.

Once again, Empire found herself at a loss for words. Her head was spinning when she was met by Devi's tactless comments. Blunt words jabbing from the sides without the refined restraints Apsara had in more fragile conversations.

"Is Chung with you?" Empire turned to ask Oz. She searched for white armor in the midst of the dim cavern.

"Here I am," a blonde head poked into the hallway. Crusader dragged his destroyer over in a conspicuous manner that was almost comical if not for the serious expression on his face. He looked at her and Devi with a puzzled expression, "You're here too?"

"Unfortunately," Empire rubbed the back of her head. "We're looking for another exit to meet up with the other team. Did you find anything?"

"No," Crusader shook his head.

Dry blood plastered over his armor, red paint streaming over seashell white armor. A closer inspection, Empire saw the cracks indented into his armor, blooming into miniature craters and embedded with dirt and grime. Sweat glimmered over his face and left the impression of a man who had found his calling in war. Crusader held his head high as a trained soldier should have. He would have been the ideal soldier for the Velder Army. Out of breath, but fearless and eager to partake in the next challenge that awaited him.

"I didn't think the leader would get herself trapped down here," Oz rested her elbow on Angkor. The giant bat squeaked and struggled to stay afloat with weight pressing down on its head.

"I'm not the leader," Empire protested.

"You're the one who ordered your team to fight," Oz drawled. "I think that's enough to earn the leader title."

"You're the one who forced us to fight!" Empire turned her head to glare at Devi, who covered her mouth and giggled. "Don't you have any shame? How is this justice?"

"Justice?" Devi stopped laughing to narrow her eyes, "'Justice' is only in those who are the strongest. You can't defend your beliefs if you can't even defend yourself."

"What happened to you?" Empire blinked in bewilderment, gaping at the woman who shared Aspara's face. Cold and distant, unfaltering and unapologetic about the impact her words had on others. How could she be Ara?

"You don't have to continue holding me like a maiden," Devi said. "That won't be necessary."

Devi leaned her body inward, lifting her legs up and removing them from Empire's hold. One hand over Empire's shoulders, she pulled one of her legs out in an attempt to find footing over the cave's sides. Her foot slipped over the rough surface and she lost her slipper. Devi fumbled over and her body swayed, falling back and losing her grip on her rescuer. Empire gasped for air and paused. A loud crash cracked the ground followed by Devi's shrieks.

Empire stared dumbfounded at the sight of Devi on the floor. Face planted into the floor, Devi had her limbs sprawled out and struggled to lift herself. The dark-haired woman held up her head, strands of hair fell over her face as she stumbled and fell down again. Orange pupils glowered in anger.

_She's definitely Ara_, Empire offered a hand to pull her onto her feet.

"Who else would I be?" Devi placed one hand over her hip.

_Did I say that out loud? _Empired tucked her head in to hide the blush creeping up her face. "Sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing?" Devi put on her slipper, "you should be saying that to your team."

"That can be done when we find an exit," Oz tapped her foot impatiently. "Angkor found an exit closest to us."

"Which I said that might be worth looking into," Crusader said. "These caves are similar to the ones near Hamel and must have several exits and entrances for there to be a constant draft in the tunnels."

Devi looked at the blond with new interest, "I suppose that makes you useful for something."

"Some of these tunnels were dug by demons, so it won't be an easy walk," Oz warned her.

"They would be fools to get in the way," Devi grinned.

"How could I forget?" Oz rolled her eyes.

"Why are you encouraging her?" Empire asked.

Oz shrugged, "Is that a problem if it helps us escape?"

"No," Empire sighed.

Deeper into the tunnels they went, lit up by the crystals grounded at their feet and above their heads. An uneventful trek into the darkness, a rare silence in an alien land uninterrupted by their heavy solemn footsteps. Demons dotted the so-called abandoned path. Beady eyes lurked from the shadows before disappearing from sight and reappearing again behind a crystal.

"They're not attacking," Crusader saw a small group of demons disperse away from their path.

"With an earthquake that size, they must have lost many of their members today. Fighting us would be a bad idea." Oz added, "Of course, my guess is as good as yours."

"You made a contract with a demon," Crusader said.

"Doesn't mean I speak demon," the dark mage scoffed. "That's Angkor's job."

"Why would you do that?" Crusader asked.

"Why would it matter?" Oz said, "I chose a path I thought was the best option."

Her words struck a memory inside Empire. Knight said something similar after waking up to being rescued by his friends… from the El. The red knight understood his reasoning, but she couldn't let go of the unnerving feelings igniting from her core. It wasn't right for a brother to sacrifice himself in the place of an older sibling, but Knight argued that it was the best option. For all of them.

Empire unsuccessfully searched for lament in the purple-haired woman's features. Demon or not, those were eyes of a person set in their decision with no regrets. Was Empire wrong to believe that their alternative selves were prisons of their decisions as much as she was to hers? She was proud to be the captain of the red knights, but her duty as an older sister led her to leave her soldiers. Was it the right decision to believe in her men and place her presence elsewhere?

"Miss Elesis?" Crusader's voice emerged from the silence, "You've been quiet."

"It's nothing," Empire shook her head. "I'm just thinking."

"It must be something important," Crusader said. "You look tired."

If it wasn't for their situation, she would have bumped her knuckles on his shoulder plate and teased him about his serious expression.

"We finally have Elsword back and now we're lost," Empire let out a soft laugh.

"I don't think that's very funny," Crusader frowned.

"It turns out he didn't need help to save himself," Empire sighed. "He can fight his own battles, yet I can't stop worrying about him."

"It hurts because he will always put others first," Devi said with sadness. "Even if you tell him not to."

Empire nodded. She didn't know Knight was having an internal battle with himself until it was too late. He wouldn't let her know because he knew she would try to stop him. If it wasn't for the rest of the team, Knight would still be…

"United by the same idiot," Oz sighed. "I think all of you have spent enough time giving him grief over that. I think it's stopping all of you from moving on."

Crusader looked at Oz with wonder and smiled.

"You're right," Crusader said softly. "He needs us as much as we need him. We need to move quickly so he won't worry about us."

"To think a kid has this kind of power over people," Devi mused.

"People trust him," Empire said.

She trusted Knight because he was her brother, but he proved that he was more than that. Knight was a capable adventurer and a reliable friend, always ready to lend a hand even to strangers he had just met. Some called him naive, but maybe that was what made him disciplined. He lived by a code to always give people his trust, which has earned him friends and sometimes enemies. It was a type of mentality that was unworldly inside the battlefield.

Sunlight shone at the end of the tunnel. The smell of fresh pine woke up Empire's senses and lifted the heavyweight off her shoulders. Standing at the exit of the caverns was a familiar face with red-hair and matching eyes.

"Hey, sis!"

_Elsword? _

Empire rushed over to the voice but stopped when she saw the long bangs framing his face.

"Elesis?" Rune repeated her name.

"You're not Elsword," Empire heard herself say.

Her head spun as she realized what she said. Empire extended her hand to apologize, but Rune had disappeared. The others' voices flooded around her.

* * *

**Author Notes:** It's been 80 years. I am writing this as many parts of the country are going into self-quarantine for COVID-19. I will continue to slowly upload new chapters as I am still required to attend to work and classes online. Thank you for everyone's patience and support. Stay safe and healthy!

MinervaVenus: There's definitely something going on between Elesis and Ara, but which one? :3c


	10. Reflection

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 7,347

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 10: Reflection **_

* * *

_Code: Esencia_

Lines of commands flooded back into her vision, her sensors returning in response to her circuits activating. Protocols lined up, waiting to be accepted by Esencia as she ran through the mandatory scans. She let them run in the background as she prioritized assessing her environment.

In front of her was a campfire emitting its heat, its flames being fed by Rage Hearts tossing in dried leaves and tree branches to soothe its hunger. Data flashed through Esencia's optic lens as she filtered through the information she already knew about her teammate. Did Rage carry her back to camp? Her navigator protocol announced they were close to the entrance of a cavern called Shadow Vein. She checked her memory bank for more information but was met with distorted data. It wasn't often that she experienced a forced shutdown. Her memory backup should be finished updating in a few minutes.

"Eve!" Rage breathed a sigh of relief, "We were beginning to worry you wouldn't wake up. Are you okay?"

_We?_ There was another person, her sensors alerted her.

"Code: Esencia. That is the name of your program, is it not?"

Esencia turned to the sound of her program's name, a thin airy feminine voice that called for her attention. Covered in black armor, the new Nasod presented herself with the appearance of a young woman. Resting one leg over the other, she sat beside Rage as if in the middle of a conversation before Esencia was acknowledged. A pale face marked by blue lines across the cheeks and orange eyes identical to Escencia's. The resemblance was unmistakable.

"You're Eve," Esencia stated.

"Yes, I am." Her alternate offered a tiny smile, "I did not expect to meet someone else that shares the same core as us."

Esencia stared at her own face, unwavered by the existence of the other Nasod queen. At last, they have met, no longer separated by circumstances that would have forced them to fight. Anemos had mentioned the other Eve, comparing them because humans were comfortable looking at something they were familiar with. There were similarities, but the mechanical wings extending out from her alternate's back suggested that at some point, their paths had begun to branch out.

"What program have you undergone?" Esencia was curious.

"Code: Ultimate, a hidden code meant to override the limit most Nasods have." She was just as interested in Esencia. "I see you have chosen to rely on your servants for strength. They are being repaired right now."

"How severe is the damage?" Esencia asked with concern.

Not as sturdy as their queen, she was aware of the time it would take to restore her servants to fighting form. Ferdinand would take the longest because he was not meant to fight past a certain time limit and his parts were harder to find.

"They won't be able to move properly until Moby and Remy find the spare parts needed." Ultimate said, "It is estimated that it will take four hours and three minutes for them to be functional again. I recommend you don't fight until then."

"That is to be expected," Esencia agreed. Her eyes flickered over to Rage, who patiently sat through their technical conversation with his human arm over his lap. "What happened after I was deactivated?"

Her datalog's last record was the battle they had against the opposite El Search Party. Ultimate's assistance gave little information on the outcome of that battle on whether or not the two parties had arrived at a compromise.

"I'm not sure," Rage shrugged. "With the party split up, there were many things going on that even I don't understand. By the time I arrived here, both Elswords had returned and I was told that we were no longer fighting."

"I arrived at the same time as Rage. The information I can provide will be similar." Ultimate said, "You arrived to camp in a battle-worn state, but most of the damage has been repaired. You are lucky your opponent is keen on minimizing the damage on you."

Esencia didn't think Ultimate would be one to use words like "lucky". The irrational emotion of irritation rose again at the mention of Dominator. Bringer was not subtle in his interest in her codes, so Dominator approaching her was just as likely, but did not make it any less inconvenient in having to fight the scientist.

"Add is not present," Ultimate said. "You do not have to worry about talking to him. I made sure of that."

"How did you get to the Demon Realm?" Rage asked Ultimate.

"Add," a look of disdain was visible on her face. It was the most human expression Esencia had seen from the Black Queen of Destruction. "He said he knew a way to enter into the Demon Realm from Elrianode. Our Elsword encouraged him."

"Did he use a device that opened portals for travel?" Esencia asked.

"Yes," Ultimate sighed.

Esencia nodded, "The Add from our party suggested the same thing, but he did not have the coordinates. We opted for a different method of travel."

So Dominator and Bringer arrived at the same conclusion, except Bringer had Esencia to troubleshoot his plan. The portal device must have brought the entire El Search Party into the same dimension as them. Although Dominator had hit the wrong mark, Esencia reluctantly gave the scientist credit for arriving in a Demon Realm. Luck seemed to travel with Rune's friends as well.

"How did you arrive to the Demon Realm?" Ultimate wanted to know.

"It was an accident by one of our friends," Esencia explained. "We would have to find a new way to get back to Elrianode."

"We've been lucky," Rage admitted. "I'm not sure if that will be the case next time."

"Was it you who brought me back to be repaired?" Esencia asked Rage, frowning when she discovered that her backup memory stopped saving up to the point where she lost her battle.

"No." Rage said in a quiet voice, "That was Blade, my other self. He's nearby if you want to talk to him."

Carved by scars running down his face, Blade was taller than average for a human male. Dressed in white, what made the swordsman stand out was not the prominent stern expression he held but the Nasod arm. Made of the same material used for Dominator's drones, the Nasod arm was lightweight for battles but sturdy to maintain its structure and integrity to carry a blade.

Blade sat at the edge of the cliff, observing the miles of canyons and dense forests from below, a bright palette of vibrant colors that did not exist in Elrios. The sound of gravel grated against his feet as the swordsman stood up to face Esencia and Rage. Although he was mostly human, his senses were as acute as Rage's in ways that surprised the Nasod queen. Humans had the ability to train and condition themselves to sharpen their senses to compensate for their weaknesses.

"Ah, you're awake." Blade lowered his head with an awkward smile, something humans did when they sensed discomfort from others. "I'm glad to see Eve was able to repair most of the damage."

"That's to be expected," Rage rubbed his face. "Demons will hit harder than that if we're not careful."

"Is that what you've been doing?" Blade asked, "I can't imagine coming here was easy."

They were fortunate that Apsara found the passage that led them to what the Dark Elves referred to their home as Varnimyr. It was uncertain what would be done if they have failed to enter Demon Realm based on their new objective to find the Dark El. They might have had to resort to the portal device as the other El Search Party did.

"There were many barriers to overcome before we found an entrance into Demon Realm." Esencia said. "Why did you spare me?"

"It doesn't feel right not to," Blade said. "We did what we thought would get us closer to Elsword. We wanted to slow down your progress so we could catch up, not kill you."

"I suppose that's kinda my fault," Rage grinned. "Running off with Rune makes us look like the bad guys."

"Rune agreed to join the party," Esencia corrected him. "He was willing to cooperate."

"He must trust you if that's the case." Blade asked, "Did he say why?"

"No," Esencia said.

It did not matter to her as much as it did for others. She did not know Rune and he was not going to open to people he was not familiar with. However, Esencia understood that Blade's question was not asked out of the need for information, but for reassurance.

"Only Rune can answer those questions," Esencia said. "Why don't you talk to him?"

"I went into this mission with the assumption of having to fight myself," Blade pressed his forehead against his Nasod arm. Unlike Rage's, it had a high resemblance to a human hand if not for the artificial covering over it. "I thought that fighting was the only option. What a fool I was. I didn't learn from my failure in Altera."

"All of this unnecessary fighting over a misunderstanding because we mixed up two Elswords." Rage wore a similar expression to Blade, a prominent scowl that left a dent on his features.

Regret was apparent from Rage's tone, a familiar emotion Esencia sensed in many of the humans she encountered during her journey. Even Adrian, the father of Nasods, was not spared from that common emotion. Esencia did what humans did when they saw another distressed and placed her hand over his human arm.

"Elsword would not be here if we did not encounter the other party," Esencia said in a gentle voice. "We are no longer fighting and will find a way to help them in return."

"We came here to retrieve the Dark El," Blade shook his head. "We're not leaving until we find clues on how to stabilize the El."

"You too?" Rage looked at Blade in wonder, "and here I was thinking we were the only ones crazy enough to try it."

"Explain," Esencia looked to Blade for further explanation. "What happened to the El in your Elrios?"

"Our Elsword used himself as an energy source to stabilize it until we pulled him out of it," Blade said. "We discovered that the Dark El is the El's counterpart and may help stabilize it, which is in the Demon Realm."

A sad smile graced upon Esencia's lips. Her presumption was correct. It was almost identical to the dilemma the original El Search Party found themselves in, an attempt to restore the El that led them to the Demon Realm. An act of desperation that led to the opposite party overlooking a human error in search of the Dark El.

"You're here because of the other Add, right?" Rage asked.

"That's right." Blade mumbled something about time machines and mosquitoes. He coughed when he turned to Esencia, "Thank you for taking care of Elsword. I hope he did not trouble you with his antics."

"Rune had many interesting stories to tell us," Esencia said. Some she had difficulty in believing because Rune claimed he and his sister were forced to dance alongside a zombie king with a pink afro.

"He asked why I didn't have a shirt on," Rage deadpanned.

Esencia did not understand why the comment bothered Rage when he did in fact lack a shirt to cover his upper body. Much of his body heat was regulated by the Nasod arm. Wearing additional clothing was more of a preference than a need for the former mercenary. Was his embarrassment because Rune was a person he was not well-acquainted with?

"Well, I suppose we should welcome you to the team." Rage tilted his head back against his hands. "Our party is already as big as it is. What's another dozen to us?"

"Collaborating may be beneficial," Esencia agreed. "Working together may make it easier to find a way to restore the El for both parties."

"Unless Paradox comes back," Rage added. "Do you know who he is?"

"Of course, not." Blade crossed his arms, "I wasn't even aware of his existence until someone from your team described him to me."

Rage had provided Esencia with a summary of what had happened while she was deactivated and Ultimate had offered her data to store in her memory. Identified as a temporal enigma with a connection to time and space, Paradox had an inconsistent pattern in movement and fighting. It could be challenging to predict what his next move would be.

"He's Add," Esencia stated. The description of Knight's kidnapper brought her attention when she scanned the datalog Ultimate provided to her during the repairs. The six pieces floating around Paradox were magic-based and resembled the weapons Bringer used for battle.

"There's three of them," Blade closed his eyes. Esencia saw bags forming under his eyes. She noticed a strand of white hair poking from the side of his bangs.

"At least there's more of us now, so it'll be harder for Paradox to take us down." Rage frowned, "You alright? You look like you haven't slept in days."

"It's hard to sleep when there's much to do," Blade said. "We just found Elsword and need a plan."

"I get that, but no point in losing sleep over it." Rage softened his expression, "You're not the only one worried about Rune. You don't have to carry everyone's burden."

"It's strange getting advice from myself." Blade laughed.

"It's strange talking to myself," Rage mirrored and joined in.

"We should prioritize regrouping with our friends to discuss our next decision," Esencia said.

Both Ravens looked at each other before turning to the Nasod queen.

"I would like that," Blade smiled.

"Sounds good to me," Rage nodded.

Esencia looked at the two smiling men and questioned the practicality of housing twenty-four people in shared space. While it would drive away people like Paradox, the sheer size of their team would act as a beacon for demons to see them as a threat when most of them weren't native to the Demon Realm. Having a bigger group was going to be a change she would have to get used to. Until they find a way for Rune's friends to get home, the extra twelve people will be their new teammates.

* * *

_Rune Master_

"Come back!" Empire cried. "Elsword! No, Rune! Wait!"

Rune went into a mad dash and sprinted ahead, refusing to look back to see if she was following him.

After hours of waiting and doing what he could to help around the campsite, Rune volunteered to search for the missing party members trapped inside the Shadow Vein. He didn't think they would find the exit so quickly, nor did he expect Empire to be the first to emerge from the cavern. Her knee-jerk reaction made Rune regret coming into contact with the red knight. People have compared Rune to his counterpart and have mistaken him as Knight, but she didn't need to rub it in. He didn't need reminders that they were supposed to be the same.

"Are you okay?" Flame looked up from the cutting board. Abysser must have put her on lunch duty. Setting her knife down, she looked at him with alarm and placed her hand over his forehead, "You don't look so good."

"I know this is going to sound weird, but I'm hiding from the other you." Rune caught his breath. How could he keep up with monsters in the battlefield, but have his heart pounding against this ribcage like he was asked to fight Solace again because of someone who looked like his sister?

"The other me, what are you, oooooh." Her lips rounded into a perfect circle and nodded in understanding. Rune was grateful for Flame not questioning the strangeness of talking about herself from another lifetime. "Gotcha. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Talk to me," Rune said. He needed to talk to someone he knew to stay sane. If he saw one more person who looked like someone from his team, he was going to burst into flames. "Pretend we're not in the wrong dimension because there are twelve people that look like us and I messed up big time."

"Hey, don't call it a mess up." Flame waved her hand in disagreement, "We're in Demon Realm! Maybe not the one we were supposed to be in, but it's still Demon Realm. How is that a problem?"

"The other El Search Party is trying to look for the Dark El for similar reasons as we are," Rune explained. "We can't just take it from them. They need it too!"

At first, Rune thought it was cool to meet people like him. It was amazing that they all shared the same passion and dreams as their counterparts, but then the sky started turning into different colors. Portals forming cracks in the sky, webbing over one another and causing headache for the rune user. El resonance levels elevated inconsistently whenever a bigger portal was formed. Was this all because of him?

What would happen if they retrieved the Dark El instead of Knight's friends? What would happen to Knight's Elrios? Would their El continue to be unstable and corrupted because of their selfish actions? Rune wasn't sure if he could live with the guilt of taking something from someone else. It was why they were forced to travel into the Demon Realm, because Rune couldn't bear the grief of throwing others off a bridge, even if it was for the sake of the world.

"Wow, that's a lot to think about." Flame whistled. "Why are you running away from her? Was she cruel?"

"No," Rune joined his sister and pulled out a cutting board to begin skinning and peeling vegetables. He could argue that Empire was the complete opposite for taking the initiative and leading a team when its leader went missing.

"Did she make you do something you didn't want to do?" Flame asked.

"No!"

"Then what?"

"She thought I was her brother," Rune said.

It was uncomfortable watching the pain twist in her features at the realization that she had the wrong person. Even though he and Knight were technically the same person, he didn't grow up with Empire the same way he did with Flame. He didn't want to stop to listen to Emipre's pleads or apologies. Empire kept an amicable front, but kept her distance from others and was intimidating to approach. Rune wasn't sure if he could look at her in the eye after the outburst she had outside of the Shadow Vein.

"Aren't you?" Flame asked.

"Well, yes." Rune said, "but I'm not specifically him."

"Els… talking about yourself is going to drive you crazy." Flame shook her head, "I never met her, but this is probably hurting her as much as it is for you. Besides, if she's me, she's probably worried about you."

"How would you know?"

"Because that's what sisters do," she laughed. "Now unless you plan to help me with lunch, you should get going. You're making her wait."

Metal boots clanged against the gravel at their feet, a pair of identical eyes met with Rune's, somber and apologetic. Crouching behind one of the boulders occupying their campsite, Empire Sword had her head leaning forward, completely still and wide-eyed on being called out. Her face glowed from the campfire, devoid of its warmth.

"Hope my brother didn't cause you and your friends too much trouble," Flame teased as if she didn't just catch her counterpart eavesdropping into their conversation. "You look like you had something to say."

"Not at all," Empire gave an embarrassed smile. "He was cooperative and did more than enough to help us. I apologize for intruding."

"It's all good!" Flame beamed and grabbed Rune by the arm, "Don't be afraid to talk to him. He's a good kid and means well."

"I know," Empire lowered her head. "I won't take up too much of your time."

"Huh?" Rune stuttered, "Wait-"

Flame cheerfully threw Rune into Empire's direction, waving at them with a knife in her hand. Stumbling back by a few steps, Rune lifted his head up to see Empire pulling her arm back, suddenly uncertain on what to do with the rune user. All signs of formality from before had dissipated and was replaced by awkwardness that reminded Rune of her age. She was barely half the age of her superiors in Velder.

Rune saw the discomfort in Empire and let out a dark laugh. Silence rippled through the air, only interrupted by the sound of Flame chopping vegetables and from the campfire crackling. How much did Empire hear from his conversation with Flame?

"I'm sorry," Empire started. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

"You don't need to apologize," Rune raised his hand. "You don't have to talk about it."

"What if I want to talk about it?" Empire asked. "I don't have the right to be asking for forgiveness after everything you went through, but I still want to talk."

Her voice remained steady, but her hands were visibly shaking, clenched into tight fists. Bangs fell over, hiding her face from view. Covered in grime and dust, Empire was short of looking like Rune when he was first discovered by the El Search Party. Her ponytail became undone and slid down past her forearm.

"Like being kidnapped and carried off like a princess?"

Empire raised her head with confusion on her features, "a princess?"

"That's what Paradox called Knight," Rune shrugged. He softened his hardened expression, "You don't need to worry about me. You should worry about your brother."

"You _are_ my brother." She said, "you're still Elsword."

"Maybe," he hesitated. "Or are you saying that we look the same? I'm not sure if I can be compared to _him_."

Knight was the leader the El Search Party deserved. Hardworking and placed others before himself. He even checked on Rune despite the crude thoughts the rune user kept to himself, afraid to admit the unpleasant thoughts that plagued him. Empire recognized that and widened her eyes.

"You're jealous of Elsword?" Empire was shocked.

"Does that make me a bad person?" Rune threw his head back and chuckled darkly, "Both of us failed to restore the El, yet I'm the one who threw my team into the wrong Demon Realm. We caused this mess because we weren't supposed to be here. The sky is falling apart. Is that what a leader does?"

Yes, Rune was bitter. Five years of traveling outside his hometown with the intent of finding his sister, only to be told that he was special. Somehow, a link between him and the El was apparent and it was up to him, a seventeen-year-old, to decide on the fate of Elrios and its inhabitants. Solace saw that. His friends trusted him. He was told by numerous enemies that he had the power, yet he was still powerless from stopping the El from collapsing on itself.

He gave himself to the El with the intent of restoring it, offering what was left of himself because he was a mere village boy. Some other adventurers could pick up from where he left. Rune wasn't the only swordsman from Ruben. If not, Flame or Blade could become the new leader of their not-so-little gang. They easily had more experience than him and his older sister had a connection to the El if something was to happen to it. He gasped when his state of mind rose from the subconscious to take his first breath and realized he was alive, the El unstable once more.

"Stop it," Empire snapped.

"Or what?" Rune jeered, "Surely you realized that with two teams, both of us can't take the Dark El back to fix what was broken. One of us has to leave."

"There has to be another way," she said. "We're not letting you go back without finding a way to stabilize the El."

Empire was so determined that he almost believed it whole-heartedly without question. He tried to dislike her, but her reassurance was all it took for him to reassess himself. Would it be possible to find another way to restore the El? Rune didn't understand the link between himself and the El, but there was always the drive to keep it safe, even if it cost his life. He wondered if that was why Empire and Flame never blamed him for making his decision in Elrianode, rarely showing anger when he was blinded by his emotions.

"How can you be so sure?" Rune asked.

"I'm not," Empire placed her hands over her lap. "But if there's one thing I learned from you and your friends, there is more than one path to doing things. I never thought of meeting someone who understands Elsword as much as you do."

"What does that mean?"

"My brother hides things from me too," she gave Rune a sad smile. "I know Elsword has been struggling. He's always lost in thought, but very little of those thoughts reach me. I don't think even Ain truly knows what's on his mind. Talking to you made me realize how little I understand him. It makes me wonder if it was something I did wrong..."

"It's not you," Rune disagreed. So even Knight had trouble sharing his thoughts. They really were the same side of the coin. "He's doing it because he's scared of worrying you. He doesn't want to see you get hurt and burden you with his troubles."

"That sounds like him," she sighed. "He grew up to be so responsible. I feel like I wasn't there enough for him."

"Let him know that," Rune said. What was he doing giving advice to his sister's lookalike? None of this felt real. "I think he'll be happy to know how much you care about him. I know I would."

Rune wasn't about to spout to Empire about his sister being gone for most of his life up until he was sixteen, but he sympathized with her. Sure, he was envious of Flame for always traveling and fighting bad guys as a child, but he understood her better once he started his journey and learned how time-consuming and draining it was to maintain peace. The last few years he spent with Flame and his friends were easily the best years of his life. Rune doubted Knight would have bore a grudge against Empire's absence.

"I think you're right," Empire said. "Thank you. You're kinder than you make yourself seem."

Rune blinked. Okay, maybe he was rough around the edges, but was he that bad? Some of Dominator must be rubbing off on him, Rune rubbed his eyes. His body ached in protest in having to move, but there was so much to do. They still didn't know where Mad Paradox went or what their next move was in finding a way back to their dimension, if that was possible.

"This is a lot to take in," Rune remarked. "I'm starting to think we've been hanging out with Glave too much."

"This does sound like something he would do," Empire agreed. "But I'm glad it's with you and your friends instead of the usual monsters and demons."

"Heh, sounds like fun, actually." Rune snickered, "you think there's a dimension where I'm a little taller and have two swords?"

"You'll have to be more creative than that," Empire chided with a bemusement. "We should head back. I'm sure they could use more help in moving things along."

"Right," Rune closed his eyes. "We wouldn't want to think our pretty faces were eaten by demons."

Empire elbowed him with a gleam in her eyes, snorting when he choked on his saliva and joined in. Alternate dimension or not, Empire was pretty cool. After all, she was still his sister and was good at cheering him up.

* * *

_Bluhen_

It was daybreak when Bluhen was summoned to the front of the cavern's entrance, well, what was left of it anyway. The cavern's entrance had collapsed from the brief, but deadly battle between the two El Search Parties. Its purple peak reached beyond the horizon and was the first landmark Bluhen noticed when they arrived into Demon Realm. He heard its name being dropped into conversation by the dark elves when he asked about it. Shadow Vein, an intimidating but suiting name in how much trouble it had caused for them all.

Green light glowed as he mended a cut gashed into Knight's lower thigh. He would have lost more blood if the cut had been any deeper, a thought Bluhen fought to ignore and focused on applying ointment to the area. People relied on him too much and forgot that there were limits to being a healer. Magic didn't fix injuries, but encouraged the body to repair itself. He wished Knight knew that and stopped seeing him as an answer to everything relating to injuries. It was exhausting agreeing to heal every time someone failed to dodge an attack. It's like no one knew how valuable their life was.

"Thank you," Knight lifted his head to give Bluhen a sheepish smile.

"It's to be expected," Bluhen said with exhaustion in his voice.

Bluhen wiped his forehead out of habit, but that was all for show. If he had been more human, he would have sweated and let out a sigh. Being an unworldly being, all of that was unnecessary and excessive for being the Goddess's agent with a human husk.

"What is?" Knight asked.

"Keeping you safe," Bluhen looked at his friend in surprise for asking something so obvious. He couldn't understand how Knight could be oblivious to how important he was to others. "Now that you're here, we can get back to finding the Dark El."

"We still need to wait for everyone," Knight said. "Lu said she was bringing back the others."

"Who are the others?"

"Uhh… Ara, Eve, Ciel, and Lu." Knight counted with his fingers. "She's also bringing people from the other party. I think she mentioned Raven, there might be more."

Bluhen was careful not to apply too much pressure when he placed a bandage over Knight's left shoulder. None of his vital organs were impacted, but Knight had sustained many injuries. Every battle resulted in cuts and bruises, but it was Bluhen's job to minimize them. This could have been prevented if Knight wasn't abducted by the strange man who called himself Paradox. Bluhen had never heard of that name, yet there was something familiar about the kidnapper. Red flashed in his vision as Bluhen swallowed his anger, unwilling to let it bubble up from the pit of his stomach that threatened to erupt and overflow. All of this was caused by Paradox…

"Does it hurt?" Bluhen asked.

"Not a bit!" Knight beamed, "Feels like it never happened!"

Bluhen ducked his head low and hid his face behind his bangs. He thought he knew and understood Knight, but he still struggled in reading the emotions of others. Knight smiled, but it felt plastic and artificial as the Nasods Bringer was so fascinated about. Didn't it hurt pretending to be happy all the time? Or was it a force of habit? He was perplexed and concerned. Knight was hiding something again. The young man had been acting strange ever since they arrived to the Demon Realm. What was Knight hiding?

"Are you sure?" Bluhen asked, "How much did Paradox hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Knight insisted. "Are Add and Ciel okay?"

"They'll recover," Bluhen said. "There's nothing concerning."

Bluhen had checked on Abysser and Bringer out of Knight's insistence, nevermind that one of them wasn't part of the original El Search Party. Both were unconscious and stirred slightly when Bluhen had Rage move them into sitting upright. Their wounds have already healed from his magic and they just needed rest.

"When I was with Paradox… he made me watch you guys fight." Knight was hesitant, eyes averting and looking down at his hands. "I saw your other self fighting Lu and Ciel. This wouldn't have happened if I was there to stop it-"

"None of this is your fault," Bluhen didn't let him finish. He looked up from his healing station and placed his hands over his lap. "It was our decision to resolve this by fighting."

"I suppose so... ," Knight mumbled. "He said strange things when we fought, like how different I was from the other Elsword. Do you think there are others like us?"

"What do you mean?" Bluhen asked, "Haven't we already met them?"

_And fought them_, Bluhen added. It was odd to help the very same people they have fought just hours ago.

"Paradox seems to know a lot about us, even though we have never met," Knight said. "I mean… Paradox is Add. Do you think his friends are different versions of us and might be here?"

"It's possible, but I have yet to hear reports of them being sighted." Bluhen shook his head in wonder. Alternates of themselves? He wasn't sure if he was ready to meet himself from another life. What would they even talk about?

Bluhen didn't hate Bringer, but it was difficult to cooperate with someone who was so stubborn. To learn that Bringer's alternate was the cause of their troubles opened a door to a million possibilities and few answers to the situation. This was the type of topic Bringer would voice his opinions on, but alas, the brawler was unconscious.

At a nearby stream, Bluhen emptied and rinsed the potion bottles with a cleaning solution, smelling its light citrus scent as he wiped it dry with a washcloth. Ice cold water froze his hands when he swooped down to wash his face. Extra bandages and remedies were tossed into the bag for later use.

An eerie silence settled over the edge of the horizon, absent of the chatter and clash of blades that once took place over the two El Search Parties. Sharp edges cut into the pale rose sky, outlined by the crystalline material composing Paradox's portals. Dozens of portals were erratically growing and shrinking, cackling and imposing themselves over one another. Most of them were too small for a human to fit through, but it was a matter of time before that was to change.

"You see them too?" Knight looked up.

"How long were they here?" Bluhen asked.

"I don't know," Knight shrugged. "Maybe after Paradox left?"

The portals were echoes of the ones formed by Paradox in the battle against the Dark Agate, smaller and temporary. Trailing through the skies, they disappeared before reforming minutes later. Bluhen didn't remember seeing them when they initially entered the Demon Realm. What could the portals mean and what kind of impact would they have on their journey? Looking at them made him feel sick.

Knight looked at Bluhen with worried eyes, "You should rest, you look horrible. I'll be around camp when you wake up."

Shouldn't Bluhen be the one reassuring his friend? He looked at Knight in disbelief, driven to madness by the apologetic look he was receiving. Covered in thin-lined scars and bruises still healing, Knight had an unfocused gaze and bags under his eyes. Bluhen laughed at the irony, unable to contain himself and sighed. What kind of friend was he to find relief in being comforted when he should be the one helping Knight? He wanted to tell Knight everything would be all right and that things would sort themselves out, but he didn't want to feed his friend empty promises.

It was childish to fear that Knight would disappear in his sleep. Was this how Knight felt when he disappeared for periods of time? Bluhen's body protested, aching muscles urging him to cave him and succumb to Knight's wish. He stumbled over on his fours and felt his body surrender, resting his head on the grass in a bliss comparable to sleeping at one of the grandest hotels in Hamel.

Cool air caressed Bluhen when he woke up to a velvet blue sky. White clouds huddled overhead with faded outlines of the portals from before. The portals opened to dark interiors obscured by the cloud. So it wasn't a dream…

Where was Knight? Uncertainty clouded Bluhen's judgment, standing up without his mind ordering his body to do so in the search of his friend. His belongings sat in the grassy patch beside him, undisturbed and waiting for its owner to return. In dim lighting, Bluhen was able to make out new silhouettes approaching.

"You can't be serious!" A short figure threw their head down in defeat. Aether raised her staff in exasperation. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"I don't heal." It was a man's voice, quiet and melodic yet it was clear that he was irritated by the way he shielded his face from view. Wait, was that his voice? Bluhen leaned forward to listen in to the man that shared his voice.

"What do you mean you don't heal?" Aether threw her hands down.

"It means I don't heal," he replied. "I am incapable of using magic to repair wounds."

In the darkness, Bluhen stared, unable to take his eyes away from the man with cyan-colored hair. Adorned in white robes billowing in the wind, Richter resembled the celestials depicted in murals and stained glass art in churches. His features were void of strong emotions, numbed from being placed on the spot by an impatient mage who barely reached up to his chin in height.

"Then what do you do?" Aether scowled.

"Bring divine judgment and serve as the voice of the Goddess," Richter said.

"...you're somehow weirder than Ain."

Confusion formed in Aether's brows, creasing into a deep indentation with the mage sighing and rubbing her forehead. A clean cloth wrapped over her right elbow and over the opposite of her shoulder into a make-shift arm sling. Bluhen recognized it to be the work of Mr. Half-Demon and shifted his eyes in search of the butler. Had Chevalier and Ishtar returned with the rest of the group?

Richter looked straight into where Bluhen stood. Their faces were the same, but everything was different in pigment. Cyan eyes locked into Bluhen's with recognition. Aether noticed and followed his gaze.

"Hello, Ms. Mage." Bluhen waved at his teammate and added. "And me… I heard my name in passing. Is there something you want from me?"

"Call me Richter," he insisted. "I see you are awake."

"Yes I am," Bluhen replied.

"I was hoping you could help me with this," Aether turned to show her arm. At closer glance, her arm was wrapped in an old shirt washed out by the sun. Humans were so creative when they wanted to stay alive.

"Pray tell how you broke that arm," Bluhen gently placed his hand over the broken arm to examine, feeling for broken bones or joints.

"Elsword crushed my arm." She glared, "Don't give me that look!"

"I'm not allowed to say it's funny?" Bluhen smiled.

"Absolutely not!"

"I'll take a look at it in a bit," Bluhen chuckled and turned to look at Richter. "I want to talk to him first."

"Huh? Oh!" Aether looked between the two men and nodded, "Sure! You don't have to rush! I'll be checking on the supplies and helping Ciel. He looked busy."

Aether ran over to Bluhen with her uninjured arm lifted over her head to lean forward to scan the area. A trail of tents lined up and formed a path lit up by campfires that smelled of smoked meats and herbs. She looked at Bluhen with sympathy.

"You're okay talking to him by yourself?" She asked.

"It's fine," Bluhen waved his hand. "I'll find you when I'm done."

He watched Aether running through the grass with her staff tucked behind her back. The mage saw another teammate walk by and waved to get their attention. _She's going to be okay_, Bluhen thought. There were more than enough people to make sure of that.

"You wish to speak to me?" Richter asked.

Millions of questions flooded into Bluhen's mind about Richter's existence, flabbergasted at the implications of it all. What did it mean for both of them to cohabit in the same plane of existence? Did Richter understand the cause of the portals rippling through the skies? What was his relation to Paradox if he had one?

Richter reminded him of a fish. Empty eyes gazing back, the blue-haired priest betrayed little emotion, yet reminiscence of regret lingered in his presence. It was strange to meet another being like himself when his existence was meant to be an exception by the Goddess. Bluhen pressed his fingers over to Richter's.

"How are you me?" Bluhen asked aloud.

"I would like to ask the same," Richter mirrored his question back.

"I was created by the Goddess to restore the El," Bluhen said. "but I made the decision to form a new purpose for myself and protect my friends to indirectly help the El." He gestured to his counterpart, "your turn.

"I also serve the Goddess and act as her catalyst by striking down those that choose to defy her judgment." Richter said.

By Goddess, was he really come off as pretentious to other people? What was this prickly feeling he was experiencing? Bluhen stared at Richter with a mixture of bewilderment and exasperation, unsure what to make of his alternate. He silently counted his blessing that Knight and his friends were ever so patient with his ignorance.

"You can be rest assured that your Elsword is safe," Bluhen tried to change the subject.

"I know," Richter said. "I saw him being pursued by Empire. She did not look happy."

"Aren't you worried?" Bluhen tried to understand his counterpart's reaction, puzzled by how calm Richter was about Rune being chased by his sister's alternate.

"How I feel does not concern Elsword," Richter said. "He is capable of making his own decisions."

_Like sacrificing himself to the El?_ Bluhen thought warily. His memories were blurred about the specific event, during a time when his physical form was barely maintained by his purpose to serve the Goddess Ishmael. With the El temporarily restored, Bluhen lost his physical form and everything that came with living, no longer a person but barely a memory.

"I assume yours merged with the El as well?"

Bluhen nodded. His body went cold. Again?

"This won't get easier," Richter's lips formed into a straight line. "Elsword will continue to make difficult decisions you may not agree with and you cannot stop him."

"How would you know?" Bluhen asked weakly. "You haven't talked to him."

"No, but I have talked to Ishtar and Chevalier." Richter said, "I know he is a selfless person and would feel guilty for making you react like this."

"He was my first friend," Bluhen choked. "I followed him and still lost him."

"You cannot protect him from everything," Richter said. "He will be upset if you do."

"I know. That's why he's in this mess." Bluhen laughed dryly. "Thank you… It was interesting talking to you. I was not expecting to meet you like this."

"You should help Aether," Richter said. "She was not happy when I told her I could not heal."

"So I gathered," Bluhen snickered. "Where will you go?"

"Back to Elsword," he said. "I said I would wait for him."

_Of course_, Bluhen thought. Despite the cold front and being straight-faced, in the end, Richter had a soft spot for Rune. It must have been painful for Richter to see Rune siding with their El Search Party, which led to a misunderstanding and a chaotic fight that fractured their forces on both sides. Before Bluhen left to search for Aether, he was stopped by his counterpart.

"What should I call you?' Richter asked.

"Me?" The priest placed a finger over his lips, "call me Bluhen."

* * *

**Author Notes:** Now that the fighting is over, it's time for obligatory everyone's gotta talk to themselves (because this fic is 100% self-indulgent and I enjoy writing the two paths talking). Will third paths show up or will Paradox remain a sad cat? Yes.

Guest - Yes! FP and RM share something together! As for third jobs... you'll have to find out!

MinervaVenus - You are absolutely correct. Devi enjoys toying with Empire and sees a bit of Flame in her. Oz and Rune have an interesting relationship. Newer chapters might explore more about the nature of her relationship with Rune.

Iisarainbowpig - Thank you for taking the time to read this fanfic! It's been a dream of mine to write a fic at the scale of where two paths meet and talk to each other. Add is my favorite character and I find MP's lore to be the most interesting of the three because of his desperation to reunite with his family. You'll get to see more of the Adds in a future chapter. I hope you enjoy the future updates!


	11. Echoes

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 7,958

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 11: Echoes **_

* * *

_Oz Sorcerer_

Dusk bordered at the horizon when Oz returned to camp. Dozens of tents rose in a mass of colors and arranged into smaller circles with a smaller campfire for each group. Oz saw tents of the close-ranged fighters placed closer to the edge of their resting site, the ones ready for combat to the sound of intruders. Those that relied more on magic or needed more time to prepare like Rune and Dominator placed their tents more inward from the edge of the area they resided in.

"Hey, 'cuse me," a male voice grunted. "Sorry, come through."

The smell of blood and dirt filled the air. Knight was hauling a wild boar that was easily twice his size. Blood was dripping down the carcass and onto Knight's armor. His great sword was tucked into a scabbard strapped to his back, grating against the gravel as he dragged the ridiculous sized animal over his shoulder. A quiet gasp escaped from a lower tree branch whipping into his vicinity and swapped the young man.

"Need help?" Oz leaned forward, "I can barely see your face from here."

"Yes," Knight groaned under the weight of the boar. How could someone so short carry a monster of that size? She was impressed.

With the help of Angkor ("I'm not here to do grunt work!" He huffed.), she helped him carry the dead animal across camp. It took all of Oz's effort now to lower the boar over a pile of dried leaves. They placed the boar next to a campfire. She watched its beady eyes staring back at her, dead and fish-eyed in death.

She didn't know the Demon Realm had animals.

Then again, Angkor didn't really tell her much about the realm that demons called home. Oz looked up to see the moons nestled among the clouds. Angkor and Timoria spoke of their old allies and enemies, but their narrative of the Demon Realm varied. She guessed that it was as big and diverse as Elrios was. It took her weeks to journey from Sander all the way to Ruben in search of the Ring of Mimir, so maybe it would take weeks to reach the other end of the Demon Realm?

"What are you doing?" Oz observed Knight taking out a dagger from his belt. Angkor scurried off in bat form when Knight started skinning the animal with precision.

"Prepping for dinner," Knight said. He let out a nervous chuckle. "Do you want to help?"

"Sure," Oz placed her staff on her belt to make her hands free. "What do we do first?"

"Uh, right." Knight looked happy? He moved aside to patted the ground to gesture at her into joining him, nodding his head, "I want you to grab a bucket or any containers you have. We'll be draining its blood to make pig blood curd for soups and congee in the morning. Once we finish, we'll be carving the meat and use half of it to make dried jerky for battle rations. I already cleaned it out before I started skinning it."

"These? Do you make everyone you talk to do this?" Oz asked. Placing the bowls aside, she sat on the floor next to Knight. "What happened to your friends?"

"Most of them are still resting after the fights," Knight chuckled. "And you looked like you weren't busy. What's so funny?"

He stopped to give her a strange look. What? Was Knight already detecting her sad attempt to keep a poker face during his long lecture? He glanced over Oz before making note of Angkor, who was back to his bat form. Angkor settled on her lap as a bat and giggled when Oz tried to move it. Did Angkor gain weight? Oz placed her hand over her chest and pretended to blush.

"See something you like?" She teased.

"I'm surprised you're helping me after some of my friends tried to hurt you," Knight was not fazed.

"This wouldn't be the first time our enemies became our allies," Oz mused. "Rune asked me to do the same when we first met."

"Oh… sorry about that." He was embarrassed.

"What are you apologizing for? It's always good to have a refresher!" Oz exclaimed, "Your hands were full and you looked like you needed help."

Knight looked relieved and nodded to himself. It was subtle, but a distinct smile. The kind Rune had when he learned a new technique to manipulate his runes. He was taller than Rune, towering over her with sleeves rolled back while working. His hair was a short neat cut, matching his eyes and the rest of his armor.

After they extracted blood from the boar, they let it sit in one of the metal bowls to solidify. They would then slide the curd into smaller pieces to be salted and heated in a pot. Knight handed her a dagger and they began dividing the meat into sections. Oz let the man take the lead and insert the sharp edge towards the spine, cleaning the meat off the bone in one swipe. Knight expertly placed the meat into a separate container for later use and hummed as he worked. For a moment, she caught serenity in his silence, taking pride in his hard work.

"Is it always you who does this?" Oz asked.

"Sometimes it's Elesis or Raven," Knight said. "The others have offered to help, but I'm doing it today. Are you okay with that?"

"You're asking me now?" Oz let out a mellow laugh, "It's gross, but you look so sad doing it by yourself."

"I look sad?" Knight chuckled, "I'm used to doing it by myself. I had to do it when 'sis was out of the picture."

_Stupid, Aisha!_ She scolded herself. Now she made him remember a lonely part of his life. Oz took deep breaths and counted backwards from ten. He didn't even look upset about it and laughed.

"But thank you for offering to help," Knight said. "Food will be ready sooner and we can focus on everyone recovering."

"When was the last time you visited Ruben?" Oz asked.

"It's been years," he admitted. "Haven't had much time to return with everything that's been happening."

"Do you miss home?"

"Sometimes," Knight said. "But when I'm with my friends, it's like I have a second home. You know what I mean? Don't laugh, but I hope I can one day show them Ruben when things are peaceful again."

"No, that sounds like a wonderful dream," Oz softened her expression and thought about the people she grew up with. She wondered if her teammates felt the same.

Oz started setting the seasoned meats onto a dry metal tablet to be smoked when she heard Angkor squeak. She looked up to Aether stomping over to her. Dressed in a white skirt accented by purple, Aether wielded a staff and looked short out of breath. Did all of Knight's friends wear white?

"Aisha?" Knight didn't notice the dark aura radiating from the sulking mage.

"Elsword," Aether stopped to catch her breath. The twin cowlicks sprouting from her roots drooped as she rested her hands over her knees before bringing her head up. Her face was flustered, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Helping Ciel prep for dinner. Oz is helping me." Knight said and looked at her with pleading eyes. Did he just give Aether puppy eyes? He and Rune were cut from the same cloth. "Did Bluhen heal your arm?"

"No one else can heal besides him, my arm is fine." Aether huffed. "Did you just kill that boar by yourself? You should be resting. You've gone missing for two days!"

"I'm not hurt!" Knight stood up for Aether to see. "Not a single cut! Ain healed most of my injuries!"

"You can't rely on him all the time for heals," Aether glared. "I just talked to him and he said you should be resting. I bet you didn't tell Ciel that, did you?"

"I… no." He said in a small voice.

If looks could kill, Knight would have died twice fold from the intense looks the mage was sending to him. Oz held back her laughter as Aether scrutinized the red-haired man. Aether threw a side-eyed look to Oz as if debating if it was the dark mage's fault for letting Knight do things by himself.

"I helped him before no one else was," Oz said before Aether could open her mouth. "We were almost done before you came here."

Glancing at the smoked meats and the pork blood curd finished steaming in the heated pot, Aether didn't argue. She turned pink, embarrassed and offered an apology to both of them. Oz overheard Angkor chattering to her and hushed him to be quiet.

"Do I look that awful?" Knight asked.

"You look like a zombie," Aether said.

"Really? I was thinking more like a sad phoru." Oz pointed to the bags under Knight's eyes. Knight tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Go wash your hands and rest until dinner is ready," Aether groaned before gesturing to Oz. "I'll help her finish up the rest of what you already started."

"All right," Knight walked past Aether. "Sorry for making you worry."

Oz wished he would stop taking blame for things in a feeble attempt to soothe anger from either side. It was grating on her nerves and didn't suit him at all. It made her miss the slight flare of arrogance Rune had when thinking he found the perfect ratio of hot pepper flakes to apply to pork jerky, or when he set the entire demon army on fire.

"Hey, worrying is our job." Aether stopped him, "That's what we're here for."

Knight laughed.

There was silence between the two women when he left. Aether finished slicing the meat into thin pieces. Her slices were sloppier than Knight's but cut close to the bone of the boar and marinated the meat in a metal bowl. Oz rotated the smoked meat for the other side to be cooked and checked on the pork blood curd. Their campsite smelled of smoked and seasoned meats.

"So you do have a demon," Aether looked at Angkor with the same fascination as one would with deadly forest fungi.

"Have?" Oz rolled her eyes, "He's not a pet. More like a contract."

It was hard to believe Angkor was a demon god for the number of times he wouldn't stop chattering demon gossip to her or demanding for more cookies. Oz wondered if looking like a child brought in the childish tendencies in the demon bat. His powers on the other hand were worth discussing and helped her in battles countless times.

"How did that happen?" Aether asked.

"Well, I was practicing dark magic when Angkor approached me." Oz said, "He saw talent in me and offered a deal to me."

"And the clothes?"

"That's what you're worried about the most?" Oz said, "I don't mind. Maybe more ruffles than I wanted, but the gain in power was what mattered."

"You didn't find the Ring of Mimir either?"

"No," Oz shook her head. The blood curd was done. She drained water from the pot and transferred them over to a container for storage. "Are you still looking for it?"

"Yes," Aether closed her eyes. "We were so close to catching the culprit. He ran off before I had the chance to get it back."

"Do you think it will return your powers?"

"I don't know, maybe? I relearned the fundamentals of elemental magic, but there's still more to be learned." Aether said, "Hennon doesn't have rights over that ring grandfather worked hard to uncover."

Oz tried to remember a time when she believed in having the ring restore her powers. After no leads to it, she turned to dark magic because she didn't want to relearn something she had already lost. The Hennon of her world also had the Ring of Mimir, but that was the least of their concerns when there was an urgent matter of restoring the El.

"So what's with you and Elsword?" Aether asked. "I saw you two talking."

"Still obsessing over that boy?" Oz teased.

"What?" Aether paused, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You keep looking at him." Oz teased. "It's like I'm not even here."

Aether sat still, frozen in time, and forgot that she had a knife in her hand. The knife remained suspended in a fist hold grip, losing its use in her hands. Her eyes widened, shocked by the statement and Oz's impatience. Talking to Aether was coming into contact with a reflection of herself when she was eighteen years old, infatuated and hopeful in catching the attention of a red-haired boy.

"It looked like you two were having fun," Aether turned pink. "You two share nothing in common, but you made it look easy to talk to him about anything."

"I just let him talk about things he's interested in," Oz shrugged. "Didn't you travel with him for five years?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure if I know him as well as I thought I did." She confessed, "When he went missing, I mistook Rune for him. It was so obvious. I feel like an idiot."

"They're pretty similar," Oz said. "Both of them act like idiots, won't stop talking about meat, insist they're used to doing things alone..."

"That's the thing!" Aether threw her arms in the air, "He always does all these things by himself, acting like everything is his fault. It's so frustrating! How many times do we need to tell him we don't mind?"

"I think that's why Knight hides things," Oz leaned back. "He probably didn't want to make you all worry, even if it's a stupid idea and you all care about him either way."

Oz collected the remnants of the skinned and deboned animal. The bones were saved to be used as a base for soups and broths. She was impressed by Knight's work ethic that expanded even outside of his training. Left to live by himself at a young age, Knight must have learned to never let food be wasted. He and Rune were masters in hunting and finishing chores, but worked twice as hard in training.

"I wonder if I scared him away, yelling at him like that." Aether thought aloud. "I can't stand seeing him get hurt again."

"You still like him," Oz commented.

"Don't you?" Aether asked.

"Maybe not in the same sense as you do," Oz said. "We tried to connect a few times but decided it wasn't working for us. He's now with Chung."

"What?"

Aether dropped the metal container with the blood curd. Luckily, it was sealed shut. Oz retrieved the container from the mage with a kind expression.

"Elsword and Chung are dating," Oz said. "Or Rune and Phantom if you're keeping track of nicknames."

"No wonder they kept looking at each other," she overheard Aether mutter to herself. "Does that mean our Elsword and Chung are…"

"I don't know," Oz said. "Not everything is set in stone. Your timeline is already different than ours, so I wouldn't give up yet. Knight might like Crusader, you, a random village girl, or even Add."

"Ha!" Aether snorted. "Unlikely."

Oz grinned. She liked her.

"Let's deliver these to Ciel and Abysser." Aether started collecting the containers, one under each arm. "They said they were going to cook something tonight."

Would this be enough to feed all of them? After washing her hands, Oz joined in helping her, taking the containers that were left to bring over to their teammates. She couldn't imagine how Knight could have completed this task on his own. The next time she saw Rune attempting to do the same, she'll have to make sure she or someone else would help him.

"It's always a pleasure talking to myself," Oz tipped her hat and feigned a formal bow.

"You're ridiculous," Aether rolled her eyes but softened his expression. "I think it'll be easier to talk to Elsword now that I understand him a little better."

"I think you already do," Oz said. "You're already thinking like him and helping people."

"Is that a compliment I hear?" Aether's grin mirrored hers, "Don't expect less from the great Aisha!"

"Do you talk like that to everyone?"

"...shut up."

Oz snickered.

* * *

_Apsara_

"And then Elesis set the pole on fire," Anemos said.

"A pole?" Apsara repeated.

"She got her tongue stuck on one and tried to free himself by setting it on fire," the elf explained. "The city wasn't happy and we had to pay for the damage. Luckily, we had enough from the major mission in Hamel."

W-wait, that didn't sound good! Apsara panicked as Anemos let out a noble woman's laugh. It was good that they had enough money to pay for the damage cost, but was it okay to cause a fire in the middle of a city?

"B-but, Flame was okay, right?" Apsara stuttered.

"Oh, she was perfectly fine," Anemos added. "Can't say the same about the rest of the city. That was rough."

"There's more?" Apsara squeaked.

"Trouble always seems to follow your team, it seems." Daybreaker chuckled. "It sounds like your friends ran into a lot of strange adventures and close calls."

Apsara nodded in agreement. She gripped her cup, running her thumbs over the edge and watching the tea steam rise and fall. It was her own personal tea set from what was left over of her ruined home in Fluone's Northern Empire. Bamboo and cranes were painted in dark green onto the cups. The tea kettle was decorated in a similar theme with a giant crane spreading its wings in bamboo bedding. It was a gift from her late mother before she passed away.

Anemos was just as she imagined the other Rena to be. Kind, funny, always ready to share stories of her travels and offering great advice, although Anemos had a more playful side. A smirk grew at the edge of Anemos' lips, sipping from her cup of tea.

"I can say the same to your team," Anemos said. "Unconventionally breaking into the Demon Realm and angering Dark Elves sounds like a rough trip."

"We were lucky that Rena was here to talk it out and help us work together," Apsara beamed. "Without her, we might still be enemies!"

"It's a good thing we understood each other," Daybreaker said. "I didn't think we would meet Dark Elves so soon."

"What are they like?" Anemos asked.

_Both of them are correct_, Eun yawned. _Luck has saved you and your friends many times. How much longer will it carry you until it runs out? _

Apsara shivered at the meaning behind Eun's words. The nine-tailed fox was not one for talk and preferred being a spectator from the safety of her mind, but occasionally left a piece of wisdom for her to think on.

Eun was right. They _were_ lucky that she accidentally fell into the labyrinth of ruin that connected Elrios to the Demon Realm. According to Daybreaker, the language the Dark Elves spoke was closer to the Ancient Elven tongue, a skill not many elves possessed. After struggling to rescue Knight from the El, things were beginning to line up for them. However, as lucky as they were, there were just as many misfortunes that fell on them and stalled time for the enemy to get away. It was something Apsara couldn't forgive. They had to do more than fall on lady luck to seek justice for the lives of those impacted by the enemy.

"Apsara?" Anemos broke through the martial artist's train of thought. She had a gentle expression, "Was the medicine too strong? You look out of it."

"I'm fine," Apsara rubbed her forehead. It still hurt where she fell on her face. She was going to let it heal naturally. It was barely a scratch worth using healing magic. "Hey, Anemos? How do you plan to return back to Elrianode?"

"Tired of us already?" Anemos teased, placing her finger over her lips. "With the teleportation device broken, we won't be going home until it gets repaired. Why do you ask? Was your trip a one-way trip?"

"I'm afraid it was," Daybreaker said. "We were planning to find an alternate way to get back once we found the Dark El."

"Your team didn't look good when we fought you," Anemos commented. "Was a demon giving you trouble?"

"Nephilim Lord," Apsara said. "It looked like the one in Velder, but bigger. You saw one before, right? It warned us about a fiery aura."

The one they fought was several times the size, asbestos white and covered in bright rainbow-colored armor-like scales. It had horns protruding from its body and had no need to move to efficiently burn through their defense. The most powerful of all Nephilim, it was sentient and lost control of itself until it was taken down by the El Search Party.

Anemos frowned and bit her lip in deep thought, mumbling to herself in Elven. At the mention of Nephilim Lord, the gears in the elf's mind began to turn. Her eyes were calculating and darted up to where the sky was. Apsara looked up to see where the older woman was looking.

Cloud swirled collectively around the portals appearing and closing, deviating from one another. Apsara became dizzy looking at them and returned her eyes to Anemos, whose complexion remained serious.

"Was Nehphilim Lord the cause of this?" Anemos asked.

"I don't think so," Daybreaker shook her head. "It's been like this since Paradox fought with us. He seems to have control over those portals."

"Maybe we can use those portals to go back to Elrianode!" Apsara exclaimed.

"Assuming we can control them ourselves," Anemos sighed. "Unless you know anything about time and space."

Apsara felt her cheeks turn warm and pouted. Was it unrealistic in trying to secure a way back to Elrios? She already felt guilty leaving behind the world she and her friends worked hard to protect. On the other hand, the Dark Elves were relying on them to sort out the unstable spike of energy coming from the shadows of Varnimyr, a place where even Eun was uncertain about their safety. Ever since they have arrived at the Demon Realm, they have dug their feet into the dark with little guidance of where to go. It was worrying not knowing if there was a way back.

"I'm not even sure if one of those portals even works," Daybreaker said. "We don't know what's on the other side. What if we end up in another world like you and your friends did?"

Apsara stared into the dense forest surrounding the cavern area. She didn't even think about the possibility of coming out on one end of a portal into a world that bore little resemblance to Elrios or the Demon Realm. They would have to start all over again from scratch and adjust to a world with new laws and boundaries like they did when they first arrived in the Demon Realm.

_It would be difficult to find a way back to Elrionode,_ Eun said. _There is little else that can be done without taking a risk. _

"We haven't had the best luck in making things go according to plan," Anemos added. "We still need to find the Dark El first before returning. Those portals will still be here when we find it."

"Finding the Dark El won't be easy, but I believe we'll find it soon." Apsara finally said. "We have even more people now to make it work. We'll all be coming home soon."

"How touching," a new voice drawled. Devi emerged from the shadows, letting the flame light flicker across her amber eyes. She looked down at Apsara's smaller form. "I never thought of myself as a wide-eyed optimist."

Apsara turned around to see a round face covered by dark black locks. The long ripples from the ends of her dress made Devi appear taller and thinner. Next to Apsara, she was covered in black and orange, resembling a dark butterfly spreading its wings in her dress billowing in the gentle breeze. Devi smiled, but her eyes held an unsteady gaze.

_Careful, Ara. _Urgency rose in Eun's voice, _She's dangerous._

"A-ara! I mean me! Devi, I mean, uh, what do you prefer being called?" Apsara cried and lowered her head in a ninety-degree bow, "I didn't see you there, did you need something? Of course, you did, that's why you're here. Are you mad at us for hurting your friends? I'm so sorry. You must be furious with us, please forgive us. I-"

"You talk too much," Devi silenced Apsara with a single motion of a raised hand. "I barely caught any of that. Are you a mouse? I hear a lot of squeaking."

"A mouse?" Apsara felt dizzy. She lifted her head, moving her hands behind her head in a daze. "You mean the animal?"

"You're scaring her," Anemos chided.

"I'm not scared!" Apsara protested. "She caught me by surprise, that's all! "

"Am I not allowed to join tea with you ladies?" Devi poured a cup for herself and nestled herself between Devi and Anemos. Like Apsara, she drank her tea from a cup carefully held between her delicate fingers. She ignored the milk and sugar provided for Anemos and Daybreaker, who were less accustomed to drinking tea without them.

"Careful, it's still hot." Apsara stopped when Devi chugged the rest of the tea and blew hot air from her mouth. _How scary_, she thought.

"Your tea is all right," Devi said. "Needs more herbs."

Apsara stopped breathing. Her head was still spinning from processing that they were the same person. The way Devi carried herself was something only Apsara could dream of when she let Eun take over. She couldn't sense Eun's presence being the dominant one from her alternate, so the confidence was all Devi.

Devi and the rest of the alternate El Search Party reminded her of the old folk tales she had read as a child. Doppelgangers from another world that bore resemblance to the people she knew. The doppelgangers in the stories were often demons or evil spirits in disguise, but Devi and the others were neither of them.

"We're running low on tea," Apsara said.

"You were talking about the Dark El," Devi narrowed her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder to scan their surroundings before lowering her voice, "I don't think I need to explain what it is or why it's important. Where is it?"

"We don't know," Daybreaker said. "We're still searching for it like you. We're only a few weeks ahead of you."

Devi cursed.

"But since you're here, we can look for it together!" Apsara said. "Nephilim Lord said it would offer us information about it if we search for the source of aura that's been unstabilizing its home."

"It's our best shot at the moment," Anemos agreed. "With this many people, we'll find the source of the aura in no time."

"You don't think you're being used to take care of someone else's problem?" Devi looked at Apsara with skepticism. "Your girlfriend told me it tried to kill you."

It was true that Nephillim Lord tried to kill the El Search Party, but it wasn't the first time an enemy was restrained under mind control or agitation. How much did Empire tell Devi about their circumstances?

"We're doing this because we want to punish those that tried to take advantage of the people living here," Apsara said. "I won't stand for that."

"Nephillim Lord was influenced by the aura," Daybreaker explained. "We made a promise to help it out. The Dark Elves revere it as a god and protector. We're not leaving until everything is back to normal."

"They have a better lead than we do," Anemos placed her hands over her lap. She kept her voice low. "This may be our only chance."

Devi folded her arms back and grasped the handle of her spear. Still smiling, it was unnerving to see red flash through Devi's eyes before returning back to amber. It took Apsara a moment to remember that Devi must have Eun too. Those two must be close for Devi to maintain the same facial expression even when Eun had its brief moment of existence.

"For the monster's sake, I hope it understands the consequences if it doesn't follow through with its promise." Devi mused.

"Elesis told me you used different martial arts," Aspara ignored the dark comment. "What are they?"

"Is that what's on your mind?" Devi rose a brow. "They're secret arts from a book that specializes in dark energy. I'm curious about you as well. We'll have to find out in a spar."

"Another time," Anemos said. "There might be more fighting if we're going to find the source of the aura."

"We thought the source of the aura was you and your friends," Daybreaker admitted to Anemos. "But that wasn't it. The aura is not from you, but somewhere else. We might be struggling to find it because it's still dormant."

That meant they had more time to prepare for another battle, right? Apsara pulled the kettle to pour herself another cup of tea. Blowing the fumes away, she sipped as she gripped on her spear with her free hand. It was unclear what the source of the aura was, but she could feel its presence hovering over the region, a dull uncomfortable weight over her shoulders. It was going to get worse if it awakened. Their friends were still recovering from the last battle and they needed to regroup with a new plan.

"Elesis mentioned your name when I talked to her," Apsara looked at Devi, who was already on her third cup of tea. "What did you do to her?"

Empire gave her a wide-eyed look when Apsara asked about her alternate. Her complexion was the same color as her hair before Apsara took her girlfriend's hand and offered to change the topic.

"Hm?" Devi giggled when Apsara gave her a questioning look, "Oh, I may have provoked her into fighting me, called her princess, and now she's angry at me."

"You need to go back and apologize to her!" Apsara shook Devi by the shoulders and cried when the other woman cackled. "Devi! That's not funny!"

"They're so lively," Anemos commented.

"With two of them, I'm sure they were going to be." Daybreaker chuckled.

"Are you happy with your progress?"

Huh? Devi's question was one that haunted Apsara, an anxious voice whispering into her ear in the darkest of nights, taunting her with doubt that fed off of her uncertainty. Apsara felt Eun tense, rising from her subconscious and voicing its opinion of her counterpart, none of them were kind or generous. She ignored the fox spirit and had a thoughtful expression.

Devi was terse, asking biting questions and offering brisk answers in return. Despite being squished in between Apsara and the two Renas, she never relaxed. Legs crossed with one hand kept close to her spear, Devi's smile failed to reach the rest of her face.

"You keep following these people, nowhere close to your goal and walking in circles," Devi said. "Are you satisfied?"

"I am," Apsara examined the woman with sadness. She reached for Devi and placed one hand over her alternate's forearm. "Why are you always sad?"

"I'm not sad," Devi forced a laugh.

She was lying.

"It doesn't bother me that we keep getting sidetracked," Apsara said with earnest. "I'm not even sure if we're doing the right thing, but I want to help my friends stabilize the El because I know they would do the same if I needed help. Do you ever feel like that?"

"I do," Devi said. For the first time, she relaxed and looked at Apsara with a pensive expression. "We're lucky to have people like them."

"I think they would be happy if we let them know that," Apsara smiled. "Tell me about your friends."

And Devi did.

* * *

_Timoria_

Smoke filled the campsite as Timoria hopped over to put out the fire with a pan lid. Hot air hissed from the top and she jolted back. Her tail curled up and her eyes grew wide, panicking and rushing to put the lid back on. Puffing air into her palms, Timoria shrieked when she bumped into Abysser from behind.

"Sorry!" Abysser put up her two hands. "Didn't mean to scare you like that. I'm not sure what has gotten into you today, but I can take over now."

"You said you felt light-headed," Timoria accused him.

"I feel better, I promise!" Abysser laughed. "Not sure what the fuss is about."

"You passed out from an explosion," Timoria said.

"But I'm still alive and kicking," he grinned. "You don't need to sacrifice your time to cook for everyone."

An overreaction? Perhaps, especially when her partner in crime was no longer human but now a fully fledged demon, but Abysser wasn't replaceable. He was more than that, a chimera between a butler and a close friend. People have mistaken them to be related and it didn't bother Timoria as much as she would have expected. Their bonds were no longer linked as a single unit, but she could tell when the dummy showed his teeth and cocked his head to the side in an attempt to reassure her that he was fine.

What was Abysser thinking getting up close to shield her from Bluhen? Humans called it heroic, but she called it foolish and impulsive. The man who called himself a priest was suppressing his energy to create an explosion that could have wiped out a demon army. There was nothing heroic about a nearly dying face planted into the dirt.

"You said someone taught you how to bake and cook," Timoria said. "Why don't you teach me too? I'm ready to graduate from, 'Lu, go pick some herbs.', 'Lu, can you set up the table?', and 'Lu, where's the spoon?'."

She made faces and lowered her pitch when she did her Abysser impersonation, pacing around the campsite.

"Do I really talk like that?" Abysser scratched his head but softened his expression. "I didn't know you wanted to learn."

"You make it sound like I never help," Timoria pouted and tucked her arms under her long sleeves, feeling the pain crisscrossing into her bandaged fingers like pin needles. "Did I do a good job of cutting the vegetables?"

Who knew humans consumed so much of them. She didn't realize how picky Abysser was in how he wanted things to be cut and presented. One would think he was about to serve a meal to the king of Velder.

"Never said you didn't." Abysser said, "I think it's great you want to help. You did good for a first-timer."

_There he goes again_, Timoria placed her hand over her hip. Making that face again, borderlining on smug in catching her showing consideration for others, brimming with the kind of pride she associated with parents to their children. Any outsider would have mistaken them to be related, but she never protested because she saw how happy it made Abysser. People still mistook her as a child, but she was getting taller, she was sure of it!

"Now we wait until it boils, right?" Timoria asked.

Abysser hummed and nodded his head for an affirmation.

Timoria hovered over with her wings out for a better view of the stew. She knew there was a lot of stirring involved, but she would leave that to Abysser. The last time she attempted, the campsite was nearly burned down and she didn't trust herself to know when their meal would be ready.

She went back to the stream flowing at the edge of camp to wash her hands, carefully cleaning the dirt under her claws. The demon lord felt the cold water run between her claws and relished the familiarity of it. It wasn't the dark quarters of her old realm, but she recognized the moons passing by when she returned to see a figure waiting for her.

Sitting at the edge of a fallen log was a demon adorned in white and royal blue. Pale locks cascaded past her thighs and touched the back of her heels. Cyan colored horns similar to Timoria's protruded from the side of Ishtar's head. Bright eyes the color of starlight gazed past the horizon to meet Timoria's.

"Do you always talk to him like that?" Ishtar asked.

"Who?" Timoria tried not to stare. It was blinding to look at her other self, ethereal under the moonlight and projecting the very image Timoria once wished to reclaim. "Ciel?"

"You look like you two were having fun," she looked sad. Was Ishtar envious of them?

"I don't expect him to do everything when he needs time to recover from a fight," Timoria said. "Does he not let you help out?"

"He does, but insists he can do everything." Ishtar rolled her eyes, "I don't think Ciel knows what I can do."

"I find that hard to believe," Timoria said.

Chevalier was a quiet man. Exchanging a polite smile to Timoria, he waited for Ishtar to talk first before replying back with an equally amicable response. He maintained an air of dignity, but Timoria sensed a difference in his dynamic with Ishtar than her's and Abysser's. His hair was a light shade of blue, but it was clear that he was still partially human.

Ishtar and Chevalier's relationship wasn't one of malevolence if she was to believe Richter's account and from her own observations. Timoria recalled how he and Ishtar fought back at the edge of the forest, perfectly synchronized on the same wavelength of El resonance. Bounded together by powerful magic that turned their souls into one, Ishtar relied on Chevalier as much as the butler did to her. It was not unlike the bond Timoria used to share with Abysser before they parted to become equals.

"I suppose you're right," Ishtar mumbled. "I sometimes wonder if it bothers him doing everything for me."

"I think you would be the first to know." Timoria thought about the time Abysser was depressed after being rejected by a phoru. She bit her lips, "but I think he would appreciate it if you showed him your thanks."

Her counterpart rose, parting her lips and rounding them at the realization. Nodding her head, she accepted Timoria's explanation and scrunched up her brows in deep thought. Much to her annoyance, Ishtar towered over her by almost a head. To outsiders, Timoria was a child while Ishtar had the appearance of an older teen or a young adult.

"What would make him happy?" Ishtar wondered out loud. "He likes phorus, but I'm not very good with them. I tried baking cookies for him once, but he choked on it and I guess humans don't like too much red pepper paste-"

"You put what in cookies?" Timoria interrupted. She tried to imagine what those cookies looked like when they were finished and presented to the butler. Poor Chevalier...

"I wanted to make them red because he once said he liked that color," Ishtar protested.

"I'm surprised he didn't try to rescue them and make them edible," Timoria said.

"He did," she said. "I'm not sure how he did it, but it was delicious. Humans are more adaptive than we demons give them credit for."

It suddenly made sense why Chevalier didn't let Ishtar take up on cooking duty.

"Is this why he still treats me like a child?" Ishtar sighed. "I made him do extra work he didn't have to do."

"My Ciel treats me like a kid too," Timoria said. "It's annoying, but he once told me it was because I reminded him of someone he knew. Did yours ever tell you that?"

Ishtar shook her head.

"Aren't you the one bounded to him?" Timoria asked.

"That doesn't mean I make him share everything. He doesn't like talking about the past," Ishtar said. "It isn't fair for me to ask Ciel to tell me everything about himself if I'm not ready to talk about myself. There are many things I regretted doing as Luciela. I'm afraid of what he would think of me if he knew half of it."

A sad smile appeared on Ishtar's features, her eyes wandered over to Chevalier, who was standing at the opposite side of the campsite and talking to his counterpart. Abysser laughed at something Chevalier said, occasionally stopping to skim bubbles from the stew.

"Does yours know what you did?" Ishtar asked, "What _we_ did."

Timoria felt her limbs growing limp, unable to even lift them up to do something with them. Her silence answered Ishtar's question, unsurprised by the revelation. Ishtar sat beside Timoria and kept her legs tightly together, contemplating on how much to ask. Demons were aware of multiple dimensions existing, but to meet oneself was something not many experienced.

"Then both of us are cowards," Ishtar laughed quietly to herself.

"How is that funny?" Timoria asked.

"You're a little small to be a demon ruler," Ishtar smirked. "I was wary about whether or not you and your friends were a trick set up by Henir cultists."

"How rude!" Timoria exclaimed, "I want nothing to do with those boorish deviants! I don't think it's necessary for him to know about my past, but I do want to tell him eventually when we aren't being chased by Henir cultists."

"You have them too?" Ishtar asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Timoria said. "They made a fuss about the Dark El and now we have to go fetch it before they do."

It has been days since Timoria last saw the creeps in black hoods, but that could be a bad sign if the cultists found more allies in demons that may see the El Search Party as a threat. To demon residents, they were foreign invaders from another world and Timoria was a traitor. It wouldn't be the first time the Demon Realm witnessed a powerful leader backstabbing them. She didn't like to think about what that meant if word started spreading around about the former demon ruler returning to the Demon Realm.

"How does it feel to be back home?" Ishtar asked.

"This is hardly home," Timoria laid down on her back. "Haven't had one since the attempted assassination. I don't think Ciel and I can rest until we find a way to take back power over the realm that was stolen from me."

"Your bonds feel different," Ishtar noted. "What made you separate?"

"Ciel and I had an understanding," Timoria said. "I didn't want Ciel to feel like he was forced to follow me. We don't need a contract to stay together and I saw him as my equal. It was his idea to abandon his human side."

"As equals, huh?" Ishtar repeated her words. "I think I get it. When you were gone, Abysser wouldn't stop talking about you. He kept saying your name, which is infuriating because it's my name too!"

Timoria snorted, "That sounds like him."

"But I can see you mean a lot to him," Ishtar said. "You better be grateful you have him!"

"You're one to talk!"

She couldn't believe she was being lectured by herself. Timoria sat up to stretch her arms, going on her tiptoes and reaching for the skies. Dinner should be ready soon. She could smell the inviting aroma from the stew she helped Abysser with earlier. She overheard Abysser talking to Chevalier.

"Oh, so that's how you do it." Abysser rubbed his chin, "Why didn't I think of that?"

The demon lord showed his teeth, slapping one arm over Chevalier's shoulder and twirling about to reach over for the ladle to try the stew. His hand was slapped away by his counterpart and whined. Chevalier tasted the stew, glaring at the bubbling water before tossing in a garnish of green onion and a pinch of salt.

"I didn't even know you existed until yesterday," Chevalier said.

"Ouch, that's cold." Abysser feigned a hurt expression. "You don't even have questions about me or Lu?"

"I do, but isn't it rude to ask these types of questions when we just met?" Chevalier said, "I think it's more appropriate to ask how it's even possible for you to be here."

"Blunt and to the point, I get it." Abysser waved his hands, "I thought your Add would explain all of this to you."

"He would, but ours passed out." Chevalier said.

Fair enough.

It was hard to have an impression of someone they fought once and only stopped long enough to deliver provoking taunts and snarky comments. Staggering over with his back hunched and a crazed look; if it wasn't for the mechanical eye and flying plates ("They're called Dynamo!" Dominator protested.), Timoria would have mistaken Bringer as someone else.

"We jumped over here to find the Dark El by opening a portal with a device Add made," Abysser explained. "You already know the rest."

"You're not an illusion or a manifestation of the El." Chevalier said. There was a sharpness in Chevalier's expression when he examined Abysser with a critical eye.

"From the Hall of El?" Abysser had a sly smile. "Yes, I was wondering the same about you and your friends too, but you are a chattier bunch and more fun to talk to."

"Fun?" One could hear the blood vein threatening to burst from the side of Chevalier's head.

"For one thing, you and your friends weren't threatening to kill us or attempting to absorb us into the El." Abysser didn't seem to notice the irked brows from his counterpart and chuckled, "Isn't that right, Lu?"

Timoria tried not to laugh when Chevalier was taken back when looking ahead, only to lower his gaze to finally notice her. His eyes averted over to Ishtar pulling out a set of silverware and utensils to set up the table, then back to Timoria, who was patiently waiting for the half-demon to talk. She could see the gears turning as Chevalier processed that there were two Lus.

Placing her hands over her hips and puffing out her chest, Timoria wore a grin identical to Abysser. This was going to be fun.

"I'm not sure what I should be more insulted by," Timoria cackled. "Being compared to Henir cultists by Ishtar or being mistaken as a false illusion."

"Our enemies are always a few steps ahead of us. This isn't the first time we had to fight people with the same abilities as us," Chevalier was defensive. "You're the first to join our side."

"Sounds a little like us, don't you think?" Abysser asked.

"They are us," Timoria pointed out.

"Not everything is the same," Chevalier disagreed.

"It's the hair, right?" Abysser asked eagerly as if he had been waiting for Chevalier to ask. He beamed, "Doesn't it make me look cool?"

"No, you're stupider." Chevalier deadpanned.

Abysser dropped his smile and cried crocodile tears, "How could you say something so cruel to yourself? You hear that Ishtar? He doesn't like himself!"

Timoria covered her face. Abysser really said that in front of Ishtar and Chevalier with no irony in his words. Placing the last bowl down, Ishtar turned to giggle when Abysser continued going on about how cold his alternate was. Chevalier ignored the rambling demon as he silently walked over to the side to chop more green onion for garnish.

"I like him," Ishtar said. "He's funny."

Chevalier stared at Abysser and mumbled, "How are we the same person?"

* * *

**Author Notes:** There was a lot I wanted to get in, but cut out in the end because it wasn't relevant to what I wanted to address in this chapter. It was challenging to write certain characters I never wrote before, but rewarding because I discovered them as a person in the process. Everyone's comments were encouraging to read and helped me see that every character will be someone's favorite. We still have a few characters left in terms of having them talk to their counterpart.

Review Responses:

_Guest_ Ch 10 5/30 - MP can very much bring other people with him to different dimensions, but would he do it? Depends on what's in it for him, of course (MP cackles).

_Guest_ Ch 8 5/30 - Glave might look into it. Or he'll sit back and watch because Henir is boring and it's been ages since Elgang visited him.

_Iisarainbowpig_ \- Thank you! There are so many pairs and groups that would have interesting interactions ingame.

_Guest_ Ch 8 5/31 - I started writing the Apsara vs Furious Blade fight, but took it out because it wasn't fleshing out the characters or adding content to the story in a meaningful way. I hope this chapter gave you more of that ElsAi you were waiting for!

_Guest_ Ch 10 6/04 - Everyone's interactions are the reason I wanted to write this story. There's so many potential interactions, but the spotlight ingame is usually focused with the canon classes.

_Lainus_ \- I have a loose outline if Rosso was to appear, but that may change depending on the pacing of the story.

_DKILAM_ \- Yes, I was the most excited (okay, I was excited about the others too, I have a lot of favorites) about handling Apsara meeting Devi. Rune has his third eye opened (nojk) or maybe he's just really good at reading himself.


	12. Mirage

**Fandom/Pairing:** Elsword; none  
**Rating:** T  
**Word Count:** 7,924

**Summary:** It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one's reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves

**Note:** This story took place right before the team meets Rosso, so Laby will not bein this story. Rose will not be in this story due to not knowing her canon class at the time this fic was written.

* * *

Class Notes:

_Canon Path:_ Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen

_Alternative Path:_ Rune Master, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

* * *

**Doppelgänger**

_**Chapter 12: Mirage **_

* * *

_Doom Bringer_

The sky was brimming with stars, a dark celestial canvas interrupted by the numerous portals cracked into tight creases at the edge of their campsite. Moonlight shone over his exposed skin, smooth and free of blemishes from injuries that would have taken days to heal without magic. Older scars cracked over his skin like the faded constellations outlining the night sky. It would appear that the priest took pity and healed him while he was asleep. Bringer imagined the two-faced bastard's smug expression and chuckling about how rash the brawler was to charge headfirst into battle. He hated that Bluhen was correct.

Bringer brought his face to the edge of the stream, cupping his hands and washing his face, letting the water drip off his chin and trickling down the lines of his neck. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips, the pain in his throat dulled as he gurgled on water from the stream. His focus sharpened and he closed his eyes to slow down his thoughts.

Ruffled leaves and whispers interrupted Bringer's train of thought. Irritation was replaced by mild curiosity, Dynamo twirling and searching for the source of the new noises. Careful not to make a sound, he approached from behind with caution and forced Dynamo to hold still. Hiding in a set of shrubs nearby, Bringer kept his head low and leaned in to see three figures talking among themselves between a set of trees.

"Add?" Crusader-, wait, it was the other lab rat. The voice was too quiet to belong to Crusader, sullen and carried weight.

Bringer's shoulders tensed, running through numerous scenarios in his head when he heard his name. A youthful face peeking from the corner of the forest, Phantom looked past Bringer with a serious expression. In his hand was a set of silver shooters fitting snugly between his hands as he tested the trigger with mild interest. Its white and black with electric blue lining physique was enough for Bringer to identify it as a product of Hamel artillery.

"Are you sure about this?" Phantom asked.

"Would I joke about something like this?" The man asked.

His back was turned for Briner to see a power symbol stitched into the back of his white coat. A white fringe swept across the man's face, hiding a mechanical eye and a scar running down the left side of his face identical to Bringer's. Sitting opposite to Phantom was Dominator reading off data from a previous battle off of hologram screens.

"Can't you return through one of those portals?" Crusader's brows creased into his forehead with visible worry.

"There isn't sufficient data to identify which one of those will lead back to our original dimension." Dominator explained, "A portal can lead us to a time before any of us were born and create paradoxes. I think you understand our tendency to cause more problems than solve them. Of course, with the twenty-four of us, maybe there's a higher possibility of arriving at a solution with minimal errors."

A scowl formed on Bringer's face, annoyed by his counterpart's tangential chatter. This guy was full of it and liked listening to the sound of his own voice. Chuckling to himself, Dominator sat with his legs crossed as he offered his explanation to the lower plebs. It took Bringer a moment to register that the asshole was sitting on Dynamo. The Nasod weapons appeared in the form of six cubes the size of his hands. Not only did they share the same weapon, but had the same power symbol on their clothes.

"Why does the Demon Realm become unstable if all of you stay here?" Crusader asked.

"It's not just here," Dominator said. "It can impact other dimensions too, including Elrios. Having extra copies of people pushes this dimension at its limit. Adding more people places too much stress and can make it collapse."

"Was coming here a mistake?" Phantom whispered, "We already lost Elsword once and we don't know where the Dark El is. We're placing others in danger because our existence is making this Demon Realm unstable."

"We wouldn't have met if you hadn't come here. There has to be another way," Crusader tried to console his alternate with an encouraging smile. "I'm sure we can figure out how to make this work like Dominator said."

"I'm not sure if returning to our original dimension would necessarily restore the stability of yours. The damage may or may not be permanent," Dominator mused. "It's a shame we have limited information to test the concept."

"How long does your friend plan to eavesdrop?" Phantom asked.

"Huh? Who is?" Crusader gawked to where Phantom was pointing with his gloved hand. His eyes followed to where Bringer was and yelped, "How long were you lying there, Add?"

"He was making so much noise, I could hear him breathing from behind." Magenta eyes met Bringer's and Dominator chuckled. "Look who finally woke up."

Bringer raised to his feet and glared down at Dominator with his hands clenched into fighting fists. Dynamo shook in anger with its creator, electricity sparked at its ends. The all-knowing smirk and boyish face were irritating, delighted in pointing out the obvious and entertained by Bringer's existence.

"It's good to see you're okay!" Crusader sensed the tension between the two researchers. "Ain told me you wouldn't be awake for a while."

"It's the priest's fault we lost to amateurs," Bringer said.

"Is that so?" Ignoring the last part of the insult, Dominator scanned the brawler with newfound interest. "I heard a different story from your healer."

Crusader's cries of concern were muted when Dynamo froze. It lowered itself as Bringer rubbed the back of his head before forcing the weapons to levitate back up. His counterpart came into contact with and by El, possibly talked to Bluhen. What kind of information could the priest have possibly shared to Dominator? It was already bad enough to lose to a bunch of copycats that had no right to look like members of the El Search Party.

"What did the bastard tell you?" Bringer asked.

"Where did you pick up such vulgar language?" Disapproval played on Dominator's features. "You passed out because you insulted and ignored your healer."

Of course that's what Bluhen told Dominator, Bringer snorted. The brawler was expecting that type of answer from the man who claimed to be a 'priest'. Despite speaking about a goddess no one in the party had heard of, Bluhen was often caught in the spotlight of being uncertain of the nature of the El. He retained a glass-like gaze when demons were involved and sometimes lost control of his emotions. There was no doubt that Bluhen was motivated in protecting the El Search Party, but he spoke like an old man and never called Bringer by his actual name.

"Weren't you the one who brought the entire team to the wrong dimension?" Bringer accused the scientist.

"Eager to identify my errors?" Dominator said, "I won't deny that I input the wrong coordinations to overcross your timeline, but this is indeed the Demon Realm and the Dark El is here."

"We arrived at this dimension before you did," Bringer said. "You'll have to look elsewhere for the Dark El."

"Hm, I suppose you're right." Dominator agreed. Huh? The scientist said, "Which is a real shame because I thought it would be interesting to see all the effects of two timelines crossing. I'm sure you have questioned the same when you did your calculations to go back."

"What does that mean?" Crusader asked Bringer. "Go back where?"

Shit, Dominator was going to reveal their identities if he allowed the scientist to keep talking. He didn't know how much the opposite party knew about Dominator's-, _their past_, but it wasn't a risk he was willing to let loose. Bringer let out a boisterous laugh. Ignoring the stares from Crusader and Phantom, he had his arms crossed to show the markings on his forearms.

"Sounds like to me we share a common interest," Bringer said. "Both of us are looking for the Dark El, but there is only one in this dimension. You would need to find a different plane of the Demon Realm to acquire it and stabilize the El in your dimension.

"What are you suggesting?" Dominator asked.

Analyzing Bringer with attentive eyes, the scientist read his anxiety and let go of the previous comment he made. Not unlike Bluhen, his true intentions were shielded by forced smiles and played confidence. When untampered by others, Dominator had an unreadable expression with a trace of a sober smile

"We'll have to look at that machine and figure out the coordinates to get you back to Elrianode and to another dimension of the Demon Realm." Bringer said.

"You're offering your skills?" Dominator looked skeptical. "Do you even know the coordinates for the Elrianode we came from?"

"N-no." Bringer turned red.

"Guess that puts us back to square one, but it was generous of you in wanting to help, Add." Crusader said.

The demons that invaded Velder must have found a way to reach Elrios despite having limited resources. Dominator may have entered the wrong dimension, but he was on the right path in discovering an efficient way to travel between timelines.

"Paradox can manipulate those portals," Phantom said. "I talked to Elsword and he thinks finding him is the key to getting out of here."

Opposite to his counterpart, Phantom retained his voice at a lower volume, forcing others to stop talking and listen. His voice rarely went above speaking volume, an admirable feat in the midst of all the screaming idiots from both teams.

"Paradox?" Crusader asked, "The one who kidnapped our Elsword? Elsword said that Paradox tried to get us to fight each other and disappeared as soon as our friends found them. I agree that we should find Paradox, but why would he go through all the trouble of kidnapping Elsword?"

Bringer felt two pairs of eyes looking at him and Dominator, who had an equally confused reaction as the brawler.

"Why are you looking at us?" Bringer asked. He didn't like the way they were looking at him and his alternate.

"I haven't even met this man yet and you expect me to know what goes through that skull of his?" Dominator let out a long sigh, "You're so quick to jump to conclusions."

"Well, Paradox is both of you." Crusader said. "Maybe he's testing out his powers?"

"His movements were fluid," Phantom disagreed. "He must have had these powers for at least a few years."

"Why does it matter what his motivation is?" Bringer asked, "We find him and we use his powers to bring you back to the other side. Fight first, ask questions later."

Talking to Dominator didn't make it difficult to imagine another version of himself, but to learn that Paradox could control time and space was evidence that time travel was possible. Finding Paradox could be proven useful in providing vital data to use in the future, Bringer thought. The others were already in agreement that chasing after Paradox should be a priority. However, getting Paradox to cooperate would be another matter. He glanced over his shoulder to see Dominator sighing.

"Meathead," Dominator scoffed.

Bringer twitched. Grabbing Dominator by the collar of the turtleneck, the brawler glared at the man in white. "What did you call me?"

"Do I need to intervene and restrain you both?" Phantom cocked his silver shooter. His icy gaze left little else for interpretation.

"That won't be needed," Dominator laughed as if he wasn't about to be punched by his counterpart and threatened by a brat shorter than him by almost a head. "I suppose that will give you a chance to test out that new installation I gave you."

"Yes and if I remembered correctly, you said you don't make mistakes," Phantom said with a rare smile.

"Let him go, Add!" Crusader rushed over to shake the brawler off of Dominator, which wasn't hard to do because the younger man had impressive strength most wouldn't have expected from someone of his stature.

Bringer dropped Dominator and the scientist collapsed, shaking as he cackled while lying on the ground. The other El Search Party was weird, the brawler groaned. They were testing his patience with their weird quirky personalities that were opposite of their alternates while retaining the more annoying characteristics.

"You really piss me off," Bringer growled.

"Yes, and you're as boorish as you are impatient." Dominator chuckled, "What kind of name is Doom Bringer? Is that a title you picked out when you were ten?"

"Shut up, you wouldn't get it." Bringer scowled.

"Then explain."

Taken back by his alternate's question, Bringer was speechless in how to answer. He wondered why would someone go by the title Dominator and what that entailed for a man who chose to deviate his path from what Bringer had become. There was a lot about Dominator he didn't understand and wished to run analysis on the other's Dynamo to compare differences between their programs.

"It's channeling destructive powers and bringing doom to enemies," Bringer said.

"If you say so, Doom Doom." Dominator smirked. "Very cute."

Bringer twitched, "Don't call me that!"

"Come on, Doom Doom." Phantom said, "I see Ciel coming towards us. Dinner must be ready."

"I'm hungry!" Crusader got up on his feet, "Let's eat!"

"I'm not Doom Doom!" Bringer's cries fell on deaf ears.

Dominator allowed Crusader and Phantom to walk ahead towards the main part of the camp, keeping a distance from the two protectors of Hamel. His pale face was further illuminated by the lighting of the moon. It was clear that he had something on his mind because he kept looking back to make sure Bringer was following. Once out of their earshot, he turned to the brawler and ushered him to come forward. For once, the scientist had a serious expression and spoke with a light tone in an attempt to reduce the weight in words.

"Still pursuing that dream?" Dominator sighed, "I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were foolish."

"Why does it concern you?" Bringer asked, "You have no involvement in this."

"No, but I've done the calculation and numbers don't lie." Dominator said, "Going back would simply create new timelines, not restore what once was. I think you already know that."

Admittedly, Bringer had not stopped to consider the likelihood of creating new timelines out of his planned attempts to return to the past. Dominator saw his hesitance and frowned, visibly judging the brawler.

"Are you trying to stop me?" Bringer glared.

"No, but I think it will be important to find Paradox and hear his thoughts on our predicament. I'm sure he'll have an opinion about time-traveling and dimension-hopping." Dominator said, "I highly doubt he achieved his goal if he has the time to scare people and kidnap them."

"Why haven't you asked me questions about going back until now?" Bringer asked.

"Because I know it isn't your highest priority." Dominator said, "You wouldn't be staying with those people if you were truly pursuing that goal."

Bringer suddenly became self-conscious. They barely knew each other and he could feel the scientist's eyes cross-examining him, likely fighting the urge to ask hundreds of questions regarding his physique and the visible Nasod armor merged into the rest of his body. Even more follow up questions about his relationship with El Search Party if he was to go off of Dominator's last comment.

"You don't have to tell me if I'm right or wrong." Walking past Bringer, Dominator had a genuine smile. "Words are pointless unless you act on them, don't you think?"

"Whatever," Bringer shoved his hands into his pockets. "You talk too much."

Dominator's laughter filled the air, but it wasn't an unkind one.

* * *

_Knight Emperor_

Dinner was uneventful, a rare reminder to what their lives were before they were trampled over by all the responsibilities upon uncovering the El in Elrianode. People sat scattered in circles and in smaller groups in noisy chatter, talking over one another as some scrambled for seconds. They shared a moment of relief when Daybreaker and Chevalier offered to make more food for their growing party after Ishtar and Apsara fought for the last portion.

Battle tips and crafting recipes were shared among the thrilling stories tailored by exaggerations and excessive gestures. For the first time since they first entered the Demon Realm, there was optimism in people's tones. Expressions lightened and there was more laughter with the new additional people.

Dominator held up Blade's Nasod arm to show to Bringer, who was unconvincingly feigning disinterest by straining back a smile. Unbothered by Dominator's antics, Blade continued eating with his human arm while he and Rage listened to Empire explain a new battle tactic. Flame was pushing Devi to the side and giggling over something the martial artist said, her face was flushed red. Knight spied a map of Varnimyr laid out between a group with Aether, Crusader, Ultimate, and Phantom drawing lines and making plans about tomorrow. Oz, Anemos, and Esencia were pointing out the constellations in the sky and comparing them to those of Elrios.

Timoria and Abysser spoke enthusiastically about dessert when Knight got up to leave. His mind had already trailed off somewhere in the idle of Richter's in-depth lecture about the goddess. As much as he liked Richter, the pressure caused by his migraine worsened every time the El was mentioned. Richter abruptly stopped talking and looked mildly insulted when Knight excused himself. Stealing a glance to his counterpart, Bluhen was more concerned and asked if Knight needed to rest. Ignoring the pounding in his head, Knight shook his head and left.

He felt a pair of eyes bore into his back.

It was still night when Knight returned to the stream where he washed the wild boar earlier in preparation for dinner. After days of his absence, it felt natural to return to a routine in search for a sense of normalcy. Water dripped between his fingers when he lowered his head to take a drink. One of the moons already disappeared, reminding him of home.

"It's like Elrios, don't you think?" Rune sat beside him.

"Why are you following me?" Knight asked.

In the brief moments he interacted with Rune, the leader of the El Search Party learned they were different people diverged from the same roots. In the face of danger, Rune badgered others and tested his boundaries with a hidden motive. There was a wall barricading between Rune and those he talked to. Knight wondered if Rune was aware of it.

"Was everyone too much for you?" Rune didn't answer his question. A playful smile teased on his lips, "I can't imagine you had time to rest since you came back. There's no end to their questions and there's always something urgent you need to know."

"Yeah," Knight agreed. "That's how it always was."

"Hm, do they know how you feel about it?" Rune said, "They're expecting a lot from you."

"Everyone is playing their part to work together and find the Dark El," Knight closed his eyes, "The least I can do is keep them together and make sure no one is left behind.

"A noble commitment," Rune chuckled. "You really are the perfect leader."

Thoughts rushed through Knight's head, each one clambering over one another until his brain turned to mush. He forgot that Rune was there. Losing sense of himself, Knight saw the trees surrounding them, suddenly taller than he remembered. Rune's words echoed in the enclaves of his mind like a tattered ad plastered all over Velder walls. His mouth went dry, unable to make sense of himself beyond the raw emotions of anger and restlessness.

Perfect was a word too many people used without thought or consideration. What did the word mean if it applied to him? A random village boy who happened to be related to the knight captain of the Velder army. There were others like him who would have killed to be in his position, to be granted the responsibility to guard and protect the El. Is that what perfect meant to Rune? He almost lost his sister to the El and his friends because of his decision in Elrianode. Knight didn't understand why Rune would envy him.

"I'm not perfect," Knight gritted his teeth.

"You mean you're not?" Rune had his hands on his hips, "You found a way into the Demon Realm without putting your friends in danger. You worked together with Dark Elves to secure an exit for them against an enemy that hasn't even arrived yet. By all accounts, you've done everything I failed to do."

"Failed? Aren't you from the past?" Knight was in a daze, "You're at least a few weeks behind us."

"Yes, but I already failed the first step into getting all of us safety into the Demon Realm." Rune said with a dry laugh, "This place is becoming unstable because of us. I'm not sure what it will mean for the Demon Realm if we were to keep going and remove the Dark El. They've relied on it for years and now we're taking that away from them."

Despite having two demons in his team, Knight never considered how removing the Dark El would impact the Demon Realm. It made sense why Nephilim Lord wasn't quick to trust them and wanted the El Search Party to take care of the chaos that had plagued Varnimyr. He was surprised to hear Rune's concern about the Demon Realm inhabitants.

Their progress was hardly a success if going by Rune's definition, Knight thought. They found an entrance to the Demon Realm through a loose rift in time and space by sheer luck. It was a one way trip with no certainty on how to return to Elrianode if they needed to deliver a message to the El Masters and priestesses.

"The Henir cultists might get to the Dark El first even if everything went to plan," Knight said. "I might hurt my friends again because I'm making them fight something that might be too strong for them."

Paradox said he wasn't strong enough. What did the time traveler know yet refused to speak up when Knight asked? His words haunted the red-haired knight in a condescending tone mixed with bemusement by Knight's confusion.

"You're not making them do anything," Rune said. "Oh, Knight. Can't do wrong, hero of Elrios and those that followed him. At least that's what I believed at first. Your friends aren't fighting because you're forcing them. They're doing it because they believe in you and won't stop talking about you."

"I'm not sure if I deserve it," Knight leaned forward. "What if I'm making the wrong choice? We already had to fight Ignia once because I thought she was an ally."

"Isn't she on your side now with the El Masters and the other priestesses? That counts for something, right?" Rune sighed, "I mean, yeah, it sucks that you got betrayed by her, but it worked out for you."

"Too many close calls," Knight shook his head.

"Isn't that always the case?" Rune chuckled, "If you wanted to be safe, you would have stayed in Ruben. You did what you thought was the best option for everyone. You're not tricking anyone into doing something they don't want to do. The way your friends talk about you makes me a little jealous."

It bothered Knight when he saw that Rune always found a way to bring the conversation back to him. They have spent the entire duration talking about Knight when he knew little of his counterpart. Did Rune know these things because they shared these experiences or because he talked to Knight's friends? It was hard to find Rune before because the rune user serenaded around the different team members to learn their quirks before hopping over to the next person. His devotion to learn everyone's titles for nicknames was admirable and tiring to watch even for the amicable Knight.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Knight asked.

"Doing what?" Rune avoided his eyes.

"Talking about yourself like that," Knight said. "Your friends were worried about you. Richter was looking for you earlier and wouldn't stop asking me about you. Your sister looks at you like you're the world to her and Phantom, uh…"

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Rune waved his hand at Knight. "You're not wrong, I get that. It's just embarrassing when you say it like that."

"But it's true!" Knight exclaimed, "And I'll keep saying it until you stop talking down on yourself!"

"It's weird talking to you like this," Rune said. "I thought it was going to be like having a twin, but you're more different than I thought. Not a bad thing, just weird."

"I can say the same to you," Knight said. "What's with the shirt? Is your Elrios warmer than mine? I saw you use runes earlier. Were you raised to use magic instead?"

Rune lit up to the mention of his runes. Sitting down beside Knight, he rested his hands over the handle of his greatsword. Red lines and marks ran over his arms and lower chest for Knight to see. It was difficult to imagine the effort it took for Rune to gain expertise in rune magic. Knight wasn't well-versed in the type of training needed to learn magic, but he knew it was a lot of work from the hours Aether spent on mastering new spells.

"Hard to say if my Elrios is warmer since I haven't been to yours, but it's not hard to stay warm when you have fire." Rune had a thoughtful expression, "I started off with a sword, but I switched to magic because it's my weakness. There's magic in the Sieghart line, so I had a jumpstart in rune magic."

"You and Aisha would get along," Knight commented. "She always complains about how dense I am about magic."

"Heh, it was our team's Aisha that helped me out when I first tried runes." Rune said with bemusement. "I must have burned through five gloves that week before finding out I was channeling magic incorrectly. I still practice the way of the sword, but it's tough finding balance between the two."

It was true that their family had access to limited magic, but to think one of them achieved mastery over it. Knight sometimes relied on magic as a diversion to trick enemies in a runaway chase, but he never would have dreamed of relying on it for bigger fights. Witnessing Rune using it out on the battlefield near Shadow Vein against a monster was impressive. Rune made it look effortless the way he swung his blade in one direction to stabilize his weight while hurling fireballs at the enemy.

"Too bad we'll have to split up after this," Knight said with sadness. "I think our teams would work well together."

"You know how to get out of here?" Rune asked.

Knight sighed, "Sorry, I don't. When you entered the Demon Realm, did you see anything? Like a vision?"

It was dark and filled with beasts of another realm. Knight couldn't make head or tail of where the beast started and began. In his arms was his sister. Empire collapsed and he was unable to move before Aether snapped him out of his trance. A dream? They were as trapped in the Demon Realm as Rune's team was until they found another way out.

"What vision?" Rune had a thoughtful expression. "You can see the future and sense the El? Man, why do you get all the cool stuff? I guess we're different enough that our futures won't be the same."

If Rune didn't see the same vision as him, what could that mean for him? Was it a warning only for Knight and not to Rune or any other Elsword that may exist in the other timelines? Did Rune avoid getting those visions because he didn't enter the Demon Realm the same method as him? Knight couldn't get rid of the fearful thoughts pushing from the sides.

"I thought you would have known," Knight said weakly. "That's why I'm asking you."

"Then tell me about this vision, future boy." Rune grinned. "I'm all ears."

Knight snorted. His counterpart was so accepting of the strange powers and abilities he had, but he was thankful for Rune's company. Rune didn't question why he didn't talk about his visions to the rest of the El Search Party or why he would be the chosen one with the visions. He wondered if Rune had made the same sacrifice to the El when he reached the same conclusion in a battle against Solace. As he explained what he saw in his vision, he felt a connection from Rune's level of El resonance.

* * *

_Richter_

Light shimmered over Richter's cyan locks, tucked behind one ear and the rest falling over his shoulders. It was no use and the priest considered following Rune's suggestion on using bobby pins to keep his hair out of his eyes. Rune had sound ideas when it didn't involve fire.

People dispersed into smaller groups after their bellies were filled with enough food and desserts to supply an army. It was a cacophonic chatter by different groups and conversations before they succumbed to sleep one by one. It was not long before the late sleepers like Dominator and Bringer ceased talking and went to sleep.

Unable to sleep, Richter sat up from his sleeping bag and stuck his head out from his tent. The stars were bright tonight. Gathering into celestial light, they called to him in envy for choosing to walk among the humans. They were the same stars Richter saw in Elrios before he and the El Search Party parted Elrianode and left the world they knew behind. The Demon Realm was a mirror to Elrios, flush with life Richter wouldn't have expected from what was supposed to be the shadow of Elria's world.

At the end of the day, members of the two El Search Parties have retreated into their tents and warm under their sleeping bags. Time in the Demon Realm was different than that of Elrios - longer nights and shorter daylight, making it confusing for humans to sleep as they always did.

It didn't take long for Richter to reach the end of their campsite where one of the team members volunteered to keep watch. Daybreaker sat crouched over a rock and tensed her muscles to the sound of Richter's footsteps. She spun around to the sight of Richter fully dressed in armor and tightened her bow and arrow.

Daybreaker lowered her weapon. "Couldn't sleep?"

Richter shook a heavy head, nevermind that celestials did not require sleep as organic beings did. Sleep became a habit ingrained in him because of Rune, who always made an effort in finding a safe place for their group to rest for the night. Even Ultimate the Nasod queen used their time of idleness to rest and restore her system. Even if Richter could only close his eyes for a few hours, it gave him time to process the things he had experienced in their travels towards restoring the El.

"The one who heals sleeps a lot," Richter said. His counterpart was asleep for hours before waking up and finding Richter talking to Aether.

"Ain was the most worried about Elsword," Daybreaker smiled. The elven woman shared tenderness when she spoke of Bluhen, smiling fondly and closing her eyes. "He deserved it after everything he had done for us."

"Would it be inconvenient if I joined you?" Richter asked.

"Not at all!" Daybreaker's eyes lit up, "It's good to have company when keeping watch."

Having one person keep watch over the team was typically enough for a party of twelve, but with a team double their size, having two to three members awake in shifts was more efficient in detecting intruders. Blade was patrolling out of their sight at the other end of the campsite. The next shift would have Richter and Rage take over for another two hours before the rest of the teams wake up to start the day.

Richter sat adjacent to Daybreaker. Still in his nightclothes, it was colder when the sun was out of view with the harsh wind tearing through the trees. His skin grew numb and translucent. Richter watched his breath materialize into white frost. The weather didn't bother him but he had a jacket over his shoulders to shield himself from the worst of the winds.

"Has it been long since you kept surveillance?" Richter asked.

"You still have time before your shift," Daybreaker said. "Is something bothering you to be up at this hour?

"The Demon Realm is not so different from Elrios," Richter looked at the stars. A thin line formed upon his lips, pondering on why they were the same as the ones he saw in Elrianode. Was it because the Demon Realm was a byproduct of Elria's creation of Elrios and the El?

"You're right," Daybreaker agreed. "The elders from my home used to speak about this place as a sanctuary for the elves who chose to live in a place of darkness. The inhabitants of the Demon Realm rely on the Dark El as much as we do with the El back home."

"Including demons," Richter mumbled.

"Richter," she had a sympathetic expression. "Is this your first time in the Demon Realm?"

Daybreaker took his silence as an answer and had a sad smile.

Did no one tell Daybreaker? Richter's core shook at the mention of demons when someone proposed entering the Demon Realm in search for the Dark El. Entering demon territory was an unthinkable thought for the priest. It went against everything he believed in and worse, it forced him to stray from the El's influence. However, this wasn't about what he wanted and what he believed in. The El was unstable and needed intervention. It was his duty to restore it with the help of Rune and his friends.

It was uncomfortable being under Daybreaker's long-held gaze. Was she waiting for him to say something? Anemos would have filled the silence and let him listen unless he had something to comment on.

"It was hard for me to believe there was life in this place before coming here," Daybreaker admitted. "It must be a lot for you to take in."

"I was more concerned about finding Elsword than anything concerning demons," Richter said.

"I'm sorry for the trouble we have caused," Daybreaker looked guilty. "We were so caught up in finding our Elsword that we had them mixed up. We misunderstood your intentions and started a fight."

He contemplated telling Daybreaker his feelings were spared because it was he who had started the fight but Richter had a feeling that wasn't the answer she wanted. Telling the elven woman he would have taken Knight if given the chance didn't seem to be the right answer either. The priest instead offered a solemn nod to show understanding and a serious expression.

It was enough to satisfy Daybreaker, who lowered her lips to form a question. Richter recognized the hesitance in her reaching out for him, silently debating on whether to comfort the blue-haired man with the kind of care reserved for close friends. He raised his hand to stop her and quickly shook his head.

"You are making assumptions about me," Richter said. "I'm not upset. All that matters is that Elsword is back."

"Sorry," she apologized again. "It's hard not to see you as the Ain we know. You share names, but you act like different people."

"Are you not satisfied with that answer?" Richter asked.

"No, it just means I should get to know you better." She said, "I noticed you didn't eat a lot for dinner. Was the food different than what you're used to?"

"I ate a little," Richter said. "I don't need to eat as much as you do."

He ate out of politeness because Rune said many people worked to make dinner a success. Celestials didn't need to eat to sustain himself. His unfulfilled mission was what kept him from fading away and guarding the people he had learned to call his friends. From Daybreaker's confusion, it was clear that Bluhen never had to explain that to the elf.

Not only did Bluhen look human, but had acted human. He slept when he exhausted his energy and offered to heal past his limits. Bluhen said he ate "for fun", happily telling Richter about the Soft Sweet Potato Cake Chevalier made for him before interrupted by Knight overhearing their conversation. He was asking for seconds when Richter could barely stomach half of his portion that was generously offered to him by Chevalier. Was his appetite part of pretending to be human or was it due to being a healer? Healing magic required the user to be in tune with the El and relied on mana more than any other type of magic.

Unused to putting things in his mouth, it was foreign to Richter to feel something warm running down his throat. He took small bites until Rune saw his discomfort and said he didn't have to finish. Rune had enough of an appetite to eat for the two of them and others needed food more than Richter did. He wasn't going to force himself to do something that wasn't natural for himself.

"I see," Daybreaker mused. "What do you like to eat?"

She was asking about his favorite food? Richter paused to think. Usually it was up to someone in the El Search Party to choose what was readily available to eat for the day. This became common after they left Lanox in search of the El Lady. He thought about the last thing they had eaten before they left Elrios. They were simple to prepare because the ingredients were grown at their guild house, but tame and didn't overwhelm his palate.

"Snow Pasta and Harmony Pudding," Richter said. Both had light airy textures and inoffensive tastes.

"We should make some before you and your friends leave," Daybreaker suggested. "Maybe after the meeting first thing in the morning? We still need to figure out where Paradox went and how to get you guys home."

"Do you think it's appropriate to return to Elrianode despite having no findings on the Dark El?" Richter asked.

"We don't know where it is either," she admitted. "We still have business to take care. The aura over this part of the Demon Realm has been causing problems for its inhabitants and Nephilim Lord wants us to address it."

Richter found it difficult to understand why Daybreaker and the others would make the effort to win the trust of a demon beast. He didn't know their reasoning beyond Nephilim Lord apparently withholding information regarding the Dark El. Daybreaker must have sensed his skepticism and held back a smile.

"The Dark Elves see Nephilim Lord as a higher being," Daybreaker explained. "It oversees this part of the Demon Realm, including the whereabouts of the Dark El."

If that was the case, then perhaps it would be in their self-interest to seek the Nephilim Lord in their timeline to extract information about the Dark El. This was important information he had to share with Rune.

"Thank you," Richter lowered his head into a short bow to the archer with gratitude. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"You and your friends would have done the same if my friends were the ones in your situation," Daybreaker said. "At least that's what I would like to believe. It's the least I can do after the confusion between our friends."

A high pitch sound rang in the air. Richter stood up and turned his head towards the sound, jolting his head back and searching for the source of the aura. The ringing grew worse the longer he looked at the forest ahead. Daybreaker asked him what was wrong. Her voice became distant.

"I sense Henir," Richter whispered. He drew out his projectile weapons. Blue ribbon twisted around his pendulum and sparks flew from the end of his weapons.

A glass shard-like substance flew across his vision, blinding him with bright light in purple and magenta. A small shadow darted over his head, landing in a crouched position and keeping their head lowered. Long white hair ran past their ankles and the four tail-like appendages coming from the back of their jacket. Six weapons circled around them and glowed with their owner's eyes.

"I won't let you escape this time!" Daybreaker ran her finger over her bow. A barrage of arrows rained down from the elven woman as she pushed her weight down for a high jump kick.

Mad Paradox backflipped from the arrows to escape through a portal. Reappearing from the other side, the time traveler ignored Daybreaker and darted away from an invisible force unseen by Richter and Daybreaker. A dark blade materialized and swung towards Paradox. The symbol of an eye formed and a dark figure appeared, holding a scythe to reveal that parts of their arms were missing.

For lack of better words, much of the man's body was unraveled. The unknown black material covering his exterior couldn't hide his skin and where it stopped existing. Royal blue etched with bright blue veins popped out from beneath his skin. An eye opened up from his chest resembling the Henir monsters Richter had fought in Elrianode.

"Mr. Ancient, Elsword has been looking for you." The man whispered, "Return home."

"Mr. Ancient?" Daybreaker repeated and looked at Richter then back to the stranger, "Is that you?"

Hot anger flashed beneath Richter's skin. Herrscher's left eye was covered by a patch, most likely hiding the flawed eye infected by Henir's influences. Richter unconsciously covered his own left eye. The prickly pain wouldn't leave in the presence of his other self.

"Home?" Despite having a scythe below his neck, Paradox sneered. "What would you know about having one?"

"Those are Elsword's words, not mine."

"That's right, because you'll obey everything he tells you to do," Paradox glared. "You're nothing but a shadow following everywhere he goes. Go away, jellyfish."

"It is urgent that you return to Elsword," Herrscher ignored the insult. "There are important matters we need to discuss."

Some parts of Herrscher had bits of his skin peeled away to show the void peering from his existence. He was devoid of the El and lost his physical form because he had denied the Goddess. No longer holding faith in their Goddess, Herrscher had thrown his mission away and everything that kept his body from fading away. Herrscher had strayed from the righteous path.

A series of spears rose above Richter's shoulders, shining and pointing down at Herrscher. Darkness surrounded the master of the void and disappeared into the abyss. Richter's spears crashed and shattered into the ground, sending rumbles rolling through the earth.

Paradox shuddered and shifted into the form of a younger child. A pair of cat ears sat perched on his hoodie and the time traveler leaped away as soon as he saw his chance of escape. Daybreaker was faster this time and chased after Paradox to pin the child against a tree with a dozen arrows shot at her disposal.

Herrscher materialized behind Richter and swung his scythe, forming black holes and suctioning Richter inward from the pressure. Richter clawed on his fours and dug his spears into the ground to stop himself from succumbing into the void. His mind spun at the chaos created by his alternate as he fought for a place to free his mind of the confusion.

"Richter, what are you doing?" Daybreaker shouted.

"He serves Henir," Richter hovered a spear over Herrscher's chest.

Before he could continue, his spear was deflected by a sword, sending his spear flying towards Daybreaker's direction. Daybreaker dodged the sword with an acrobatic flip and landed with her body lowered. When Richter drew another spear to direct to Herrscher, his attempt was hindered once again. He looked up to see blades raining down on him, throwing himself away from Herrscher and clawing away from the attack. Richter picked up one of the swords to examine. A red sword engraved with gold and black lining. He sensed the Dark El tainting the blade. Who did this belong to?

"You mind going easy on them?" A new voice caught Richter's attention. He could hear the smile in the stranger's voice. "I'd really appreciate it if you could stop trying to kill my friends. It would really suck if you did."

A blood vein burst from the side of Paradox's head and twitched at the mention of "friends". Crossing his arms in a tight knot, he pouted and stuck out his tongue when Daybreaker offered to free him from her arrows.

The voice was male and belonged to a young man. Wielding a sword in each hand, the young man had a short and stocky frame covered by heavy black scaled armor. Black hair streaked red hair mirroring that of his eyes with a yellow hue. He reeked of the Dark El amplified by his El Resonance similar to Knight and Rune.

"Are you Elsword?" Richter gawked at the red-head. There was a third one?

"The one and only!" Immortal grinned. "Or that's what I would have said before I met our Add." Immortal gestured to Paradox. He directed his smile to Richter, "You must be Ain. Welcome to the madness!"

"There's a third path," Richter realized.

"So it seems," Daybreaker sighed. "How many of you are here?"

"Five if you include Add," Immortal said.

"I heard noises, is everyone okay?" Blade ran up to Richter and nodded to Daybreaker. The former mercenary barely broke a sweat in jogging from the opposite side of camp. Richter and Daybreaker both shook their heads. Blade's eyes fell over to Immortal and Herrscher lying on the floor next to Paradox, "Who are they?"

"Did we wake up your friends?" Immortal laughed. "Guess we should explain ourselves."

"We better go wake up and alert the others," Daybreaker placed one hand over Richter's shoulder. "I think it's important to let them know that we found Paradox."

Richter nodded. He didn't trust his voice not to give away his expression of loss on learning about the existence of Immortal's control over the Dark El. Sensing his discomfort, Daybreaker dropped her hand and had an earnest expression. They were not friends for the same amount of time as they were with their respective teammates, but she understood his experience of being overwhelmed by the influx of new people. She extended a hand and offered Richter a comforting smile.

"Do you want to help me?" She asked. "It'll be faster if you joined me. You know your friends better than I do. Blade, you don't mind keeping an eye on those three, do you?"

"Not at all," Blade said.

Richter was grateful for having an excuse to leave. He didn't feel sorry for leaving Blade behind talking to the three strangers that looked so much like their friends, one of them being another version of Richter. It looked like the emergency morning meeting Daybreaker mentioned would occur earlier than intended. Sleep and breakfast would have to wait for the organic beings.

* * *

**Author Notes:** Third path is finally here! We're getting closer to the ending with everyone meeting themselves. We'll get to see more of the third path in the next chapter. Sorry for the late update. Life has been busier for me and my beta reader.

Review Responses:

MinervaVenus - Even though relationships aren't the main focus in this story, I like to sprinkle them here and there when opportunities pop up. Devi puts on a tough facade, but can have a soft side at times. I like to think OS puts on a lively and funny personality when she's comfortable with others, but can come off as arrogant when in battle and enjoys toying with others. The best part about Elsword is that everyone will have a different interpretation of their favorite character and class.


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